LA LAKERS SET FOR RECORD $12.5 BILLION SALE TO JOSH KUSHNER AND BOB IGER

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly on the verge of a record-breaking sale valued at $12.5 billion (£9.25 billion), with venture capitalist Josh Kushner and former Walt Disney chief executive Bob Iger poised to acquire the NBA franchise.

The proposed deal would see the Lakers change ownership from Chelsea co-owner Mark Walter, who acquired an 85 per cent controlling stake in the franchise last year for approximately £7.4 billion.

If completed, the transaction would deliver a significant return on Walter’s investment and establish a new record for the most valuable sports franchise sale.

Kushner, the founder of Thrive Capital, was recently linked to efforts involving a proposed investment structure connected to the FIFA World Cup.

Walter initially acquired a 27 per cent stake in the Lakers in 2021 before increasing his ownership to 85 per cent in 2025. The Buss family retained the remaining 15 per cent, although it remains unclear whether that stake is also included in the proposed transaction.

The takeover will require approval from the NBA Board of Governors before it can be completed.

The proposed ownership change also comes amid growing interest from major investors in the commercial value of global sports, with Kushner's Thrive Capital recently attracting attention over its involvement in plans concerning a stake in the FIFA World Cup.

Kushner is the younger brother of Jared Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, daughter of former US President Donald Trump.

Iger, meanwhile, served as chief executive of Disney and remains one of the most influential figures in the global entertainment industry.

If approved, the deal would mark a major new chapter in the history of one of the world's most recognisable basketball franchises and further underline the extraordinary financial value of elite American sports.