For over four decades, the Los Angeles Lakers were the crown jewel of the Buss family’s empire—until now. In a jaw-dropping power move that’d make Pat Riley raise both eyebrows, billionaire Mark Walter has officially bought the Lakers for a record-smashing $10 billion. The Dodgers co-owner is now the main man in L.A., and let’s just say this ain’t just another celebrity vanity purchase. There’s some serious global muscle behind this deal—and it might just be coming from Abu Dhabi’s deep-pocketed vaults.
Jeanie Buss didn’t exactly sell the Lakers and walk away with a goodbye wave and a mic drop. No, the Buss family is still in the building—literally and figuratively. Jeanie retains her governor role and 15% stake, while brothers Joey and Jesse Buss continue their front-office grind. So while the ownership baton has passed, the family DNA still pulses through the team’s veins. But why did Jeanie let go of the majority ownership after decades of loyalty?
Well, ESPN’s Shams Charania summed it up in ten billion ways: “Kevin, 10 billion reasons why.” Simple math. Celtics sold for $6.1 billion earlier this year, and you bet your championship banners that the Lakers had to outshine them. Magic Johnson even said, “Just like I thought—when the Celtics sold for $6B, I knew the Lakers were worth $10B!”
Honestly, you can’t buy Showtime. But apparently, you can sell it for ten bills. Now, here’s where things start to feel like a plot twist from a ‘30 for 30’ docuseries.
June 18, 2025, Los Angeles, California, USA: The Buss family has agreed to sell the controlling stake of the Los Angeles Lakers to TWG Global CEO Mark Walter, with a franchise valuation of billion. FILE PHOTO: Los Angeles Dodgers owner, Mark Walter is introduced during the World Series Ring presentation prior to the MLB, Baseball Herren, USA regular season game against the Detroit Tigers on Friday March 28, 2025 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Dodgers defeat Tigers, 8-5. JAVIER ROJAS/PI Los Angeles USA – ZUMAp124 20250618_zaa_p124_009 Copyright: xJavierxRojasx
ESPN insider Brian Windhorst dropped the juicy nugget that might explain how this all ties into something much bigger, like petrodollars big. “TWG Global announced a $15 billion capital-raising effort… and $10 billion of that came from Mubadala Capital. Mubadala is Abu Dhabi.”
And while foreign entities can’t directly buy NBA teams, investing in firms that do? Totally legal. Windy basically suggested the UAE might be holding the financial equivalent of a Lakers jersey. He added, “Two months after that fund was announced, the Lakers were sold for $10 billion. Just pointing that out.”
Tim Bontemps, also on the ESPN mic, stepped in to make it clear that Mark Walter isn’t broke.
Not your average NBA Lakers checkbook
The man’s been throwing billions around like Shaq threw down dunks in ’01. He’s involved with the Dodgers, Chelsea FC, and even snagged an expansion Formula One team recently. He’s not here for the courtside selfies—he’s here to win. “He is driven by winning, excellence, and doing everything the right way,” wrote Magic Johnson after the deal. “And he will put in the resources needed to win!” Translation? The Lakers just unlocked an NBA2K cheat code for “unlimited resources.”
Now, let’s talk about the new players entering the chat: the UAE, particularly Abu Dhabi. Their fingerprints are all over global sports like a hot hand in the fourth quarter. Whether it’s the NBA Abu Dhabi Games, La Liga academies, or the ever-expanding UFC fight cards in the desert, the UAE isn’t just hosting games—they’re building entire ecosystems.
$10B into TWG Global? Dubai Sports City, Hamdan Sports Complex, ISEZA Free Zone? That’s world-class infrastructure. Sports tourism worth $2.5B annually? Yeah, that’s more than some teams’ payroll. And oh, 3 million NBA fans in the UAE? From Jr. NBA camps to NBA Basketball School and now potential NBA Academy setups, the UAE’s relationship with the league is going full-court press.
Let’s be real—this isn’t just about the Lakers getting richer. It’s about the bar being raised to Wilt Chamberlain levels.
As Shams pointed out: “They’re the largest sold franchise in sports history… including soccer, NBA, MLB, anything.” If this were a contest of valuations, the Lakers just hit a buzzer-beater from the half-court logo. Every sports franchise on the planet will now start measuring itself against this record-shattering sale. Think of it as the inflation of franchise value on steroids—NBA steroids.
And with Abu Dhabi indirectly in the mix? This deal might just be the start of a global sports ownership era that puts Moneyball to shame. The Lakers have always been about legends—Magic, Kobe, Kareem, Shaq, LeBron. Now, add Mark Walter, TWG Global, and yes, maybe even Mubadala Capital to the story. The Buss family isn’t gone—they’re just switching gears. Jeanie still runs the ship. But the sails? They’re now powered by $15 billion in global ambition.
So Lakers fans, buckle up. If this all works out, don’t be surprised if the Lakers’ next banner says: “Powered by Petrodollars. Engineered by Legends.”
The post ESPN Insider Confirms UAE Involvement in Lakers Sale as $15B Details Surfaces appeared first on EssentiallySports.