Sports
The LA Lakers US$10bn sale

Earlier this week, news broke that the Buss family is selling the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Los Angeles Lakers to Mark Walter at a record sports team valuation of US$10 billion.
With one of America’s most decorated and recognisable sports franchises set to change hands, SportsPro outlines the details that have emerged and explores why NBA valuations continue to rise.
What’s the deal?
According to ESPN, which first reported the deal on Wednesday, the Buss family will sell their majority interest in the Lakers to Walter while retaining a 15 per cent minority share in the team for a period of time.
The Athletic subsequently reported that the sale could eventually value the franchise at US$12 billion once finalised.
The agreement will reportedly also ensure that Jeanie Buss will remain as the Lakers’ governor and will continue to run the franchise for several more years. Buss has been the team’s governor and controlling owner since 2017, four years after her father Jerry Buss passed away, and a subsequent legal dispute was settled among his children, which granted her control of the franchise.
The Buss family paid US$67.5 million for the Lakers in 1979, a deal which included ownership of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Los Angeles Kings and The Forum entertainment venue.
ESPN reports that the sale to Walter was approved by the Buss siblings through a majority vote, with the family owning 66 per cent of the Lakers, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Walter already holds a minority stake in the Lakers after he and Todd Boehly bought out Phil Anschutz’s 26 per cent share in the NBA outfit in 2021, with The Athletic reporting the team to be valued at US$5 billion in the transaction. The deal reportedly included a right of first refusal on a future sale of a majority share.

Walter now adds the Lakers to a wide sports investment portfolio (Image credit: Getty Images)
Who is Mark Walter?
Walter is the chief executive of Guggenheim Partners, a global investment advisory and financial services firm that is estimated to oversee more than US$325 billion in assets. A public-shy figure, he made his first sports investment in 2012, as one of the leading partners in a consortium that acquired Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Los Angeles Dodgers for US$2 billion, a then-record fee for a baseball franchise.
Through his personal holdings company TWG Global, Walter has expanded his sports portfolio considerably. In 2014, he and Lakers legend Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson headed a group that bought the Women’s National Basketball Association’s (WNBA) Los Angeles Sparks. That same year, he joined an unsuccessful bid, led by David Geffen, to buy another NBA team in the Los Angeles Clippers.
Additionally, Walter was part of the ‘BlueCo’ group fronted by Boehly that bought Premier League side Chelsea in 2022 and Ligue 1 outfit Strasbourg a year later. He also part owns the Billie Jean King Cup tennis tournament and holds a stake in the commercial arm of the Professional Squash Association (PSA).
More recently, the 65-year-old became co-founder and owner of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). Last year, he also came on board as a co-owner of the Cadillac Formula One team, which will join the grid next year. The deal came through TWG Motorsports, a subsidiary of TWG Global, which also holds investments in open-wheel racing team Andretti Global and Nascar outfit Spire Motorsports.
How does the sale price compare to other NBA valuations?
The reported US$10 billion valuation for the Lakers, who are led by the great LeBron James, would represent a record for a sports team sale. Forbes valued the 11-time league champions as the third most valuable NBA franchise at US$7.1 billion last October, US$1.6 billion short of the league-leading Golden State Warriors.
The reported sale of the Lakers comes after the Boston Celtics, another storied NBA franchise, were valued at a then-record sum of US$6.1 billion in a sale to William Chisholm – a deal which has yet to be approved by the NBA.
Meanwhile, other recent team sales have seen the Phoenix Suns and WNBA’s Mercury valued at US$4 billion in a sale to Mat Ishbia, while the Dallas Mavericks were valued at US$3.5 billion when sold by Mark Cuban to the Adelson family.
Sports Business Journal (SBJ) suggests that the valuation gulf between the Lakers and Celtics may stem from the difference in local TV rights revenue. As a big-market franchise, the Lakers have a league-leading deal with Spectrum Sportsnet that was worth US$184.7 million this season, and which will reach US$218.1 million by the 2028/2029 campaign.
By contrast, the Celtics’ deal with NBC Sports Boston earns the tem US$54 million next season, rising to US$60 million by the 2028/2029 season.
The Lakers also signed a new lease agreement with AEG in 2021 to stay in the Crypto.com Arena for a further 20 years, providing further stability.
Why are NBA valuations so high?
According to Forbes’ latest estimations, the average NBA team is worth US$4.4 billion, up 15 per cent on 2023. League-wide valuation increases are driven primarily by the NBA’s blockbuster set of domestic media rights deals, which are worth US$76 billion in total and take effect next season, providing a major revenue boost for franchises over an 11-year period.
Meanwhile, teams now earn a combined US$1.62 billion in sponsorship revenue, according to SponsorUnited. Those earnings are up eight per cent on last year, and 91 per cent over the past five years, demonstrating the increased commercial interest in the league.
The NBA additionally benefits from having a predominantly younger fanbase, especially in the US, where it is the most-followed competition among 18- to 34-year-olds, according to Ampere Analysis.
That following should safeguard interest in the competition for years to come, while the NBA has also attracted a global audience due to harbouring many international stars, ensuring that its appeal transcends its domestic market.
What’s been said?
Reacting to the sale in a series of posts on X, Johnson, who also holds close ties to Jeanie Buss, was excited by the sale reports.
“Laker fans should be ecstatic,” he posted. “A few things I can tell you about Mark – he is driven by winning, excellence, and doing everything the right way. And he will put in the resources needed to win! I can understand why Jeanie sold the team to Mark Walter because they are just alike – they are competitive people, have big hearts, love to give back, and both prefer to be behind the scenes. This makes all the sense in the world.”
Meanwhile Dave Roberts, the Dodgers’ manager, said it was a “very exciting day for the Lakers and for the city of Los Angeles”.
“Speaking from (the perspective of) a Dodger employee, he’s very competitive,” Roberts said. “He’s going to do everything he can to produce a championship-calibre team every single year and make sure the city feels proud of the Lakers and the legacy that they’ve already built with the Buss family.”
Star player Luka Doncic also welcomed the news in a post on X, saying:
The Lakers are an amazing organization. I’m looking forward to meeting Mark and excited about the future. I am also grateful to Jeanie and the Buss family for welcoming me to LA, and I’m happy that Jeanie will continue to be involved. I look forward to working with both of them…
— Luka Doncic (@luka7doncic) June 19, 2025
What happens next?
The sale requires approval by the NBA’s board of governors. The franchise already had several key decisions to make regarding their playing roster, with Doncic eligible to be paid US$229 million in a contract extension.

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Sports
Cardinal Drops Season Opener – Stanford Cardinal
STANFORD, Calif. – In its season opener, No. 9 Stanford fell in straight sets to No. 12 Lewis, 30-28, 25-21, 25-22, Saturday, in Burnham Pavilion.
Stanford (0-1) hit .231 as a team, while Lewis (2-0) posted a .355 clip. The Flyers registered 11.0 blocks to just 2.5 by the Cardinal. Both teams tallied three service aces.
Senior opposite Moses Wagner led the team with 12 kills, six digs, an ace and a block. Outside hitter Alex Rottman, who redshirted last season, added seven kills on .417 hitting.
Senior Theoren Brouillette started the match at setter, totaling 21 assists and a team-best seven digs in two sets played. Sophomore Ryan Gant set in the third, finishing with 12 assists and two digs.
In total, 15 of 19 Cardinal players appeared in the match, including true freshmen Luke Morrison and Erik Ask. Morrison came off the bench as a serving sub in all three sets, while Ask started the third at outside hitter and totaled three kills and a dig.
Senior Theo Snoey notched five kills, four digs, two assists and two aces, while junior Nate Clinton chipped in with three kills, five digs and a block. Both Snoey and Clinton stated at outside hitter.
Junior Gray Mandelbaum and sophomore Kaumana Carreira were the starting middle blockers for the Cardinal. Mandelbaum registered four kills on six swings with just one miscue. Carreira finished with a kill, a dig and two blocks.
Sophomore Kai Schmitt started at libero, collecting two digs in two sets. Sophomore Evan Porter replaced Schmitt in the third and had six digs.
Up next, Stanford travels to Phoenix for the First Point Collegiate Challenge, Jan. 17-18. The Cardinal will face No. 7 Loyola Chicago and No. 16 Ball State at the Phoenix Convention Center.
Sports
O’Sullivan Sets School Record at Penn Select
O’Sullivan owned the previous record which he set in 2025 at the Armory. His new school record cleared the bar at 18′ 2.5 (5.5m) and was an Ott Center record as well.
“Great start to the year,” said Bobby Farrell, director of track & field and cross country. “We were able to come out of the gate strong and get some NCAA top ranked performances. The field events were outstanding today. We’re looking forward to next week when we open up the majority of the track events.”
A dominant showing in the field events helped spark one of the program’s best season-opening performances. The Scarlet Knights posted six first-place finishes and a number of marks near the top of the NCAA rankings.
Rutgers took the top spot in the triple, long and high jump events. Malachi Yehudah was first in the high jump, clearing 2.11m (6′ 11″), while Sincere Robinson won the long jump. The Big Ten Champion and NCAA qualifier posted a mark of 7.77m (25′ 6″) in his first action in nearly a year after returning from injury. Donavan Anderson finished first in the triple jump with a leap of 15.89m (52′ 1.75″).
The Scarlet Knights also took second place in three field events on the men’s side. Anthony Conrey finished runner up to Robinson in the long jump with a leap of 7.03m (23′ 0.75″), while Daniel Arana followed Anderson in the triple jump with a distance of 15.33m (50′ 3.50″). Brian O’Sullivan was second in the pole vault, clearing a height of 5.45m (17′ 10.5″).
Andrew Krall finished first in the weight throw, earning a mark of 19.43m (63′ 9″) and Celine-Jada Brown turned in the first-place effort on the women’s side. Also coming back from a yearlong hiatus, Brown returned to her Big Ten Champion and NCAA qualifier form as she took first in the long jump with a distance of 6.45m (21′ 2″). The distance from Brown set the Ott Center record for the event.
Also supporting the effort on the women’s side was Jenovia Logan, who took second in the high jump with a height of 1.78m (5′ 10″), followed by Alanna Woolfolk in third, clearing 1.72m (5′ 7.75″). Tey’ana Ames finished second in the shot put with a throw of 15.45m (50′ 8.25″), while Llyric Driscoll and Ayotunde Folawewo went 3-4 in the triple jump. Driscoll jumped 12.34m (40′ 6″), followed by Folawewo with a distance of 12.33m (40′ 5.50″).
Anna Barber finished third in the weight throw, recording a distance of 16.70m (54′ 9.5″).
Rutgers will make a return trip to the Ott Center next week for the Quaker Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 17.
Penn Select
Men’s Results
Pole Vault
1. Kevin O’Sullivan 5.55m (18′ 2.5″) – SCHOOL RECORD
2. Brian O’Sullivan 5.45m (17′ 10.5″)
High Jump
1. Malachi Yehudah 2.11m (6′ 11″)
Long Jump
1. Sincere Robinson 7.77m (25′ 6″)
2. Anthony Conrey 7.03m (23′ 0.75″)
Triple Jump
1. Donavan Anderson 15.89m (52′ 1.75″)
2. Daniel Arana 15.33m (50′ 3.50″)
Weight Throw
1. Andrew Krall 19.43m (63′ 9″)
400M
2. Gabriel Rodriguez 48.83
Women’s Results
High Jump
2. Jenovia Logan 1.78m (5′ 10″)
3. Alanna Woolfolk 1.72m (5′ 7.75″)
Long Jump
1. Celine-Jada Brown 6.45m (21′ 2″)
Shot Put
2. Tey’ana Ames 15.45m (50′ 8.25″)
Triple Jump
3. Llyric Driscoll 12.34m (40′ 6″)
4. Ayotunde Folawewo 12.33m (40′ 5.50″)
Weight Throw
3. Anna Barber 16.70m (54′ 9.5″)
Sports
Isaiah Cadengo Posts Pair of Top 10 Marks as Vikings Close Season-Opening Silver & Blue Invitational
RENO, Nev. — Isaiah Cadengo sat and watched as two of his teammates set top 10 marks on the first day of the Silver & Blue Invitational Friday. Saturday, Cadengo ran like a man eager to put his own name in the record books as the freshman sprinter posted a pair of top 10 marks to lead the Vikings on the second day of the meet at Reno Sparks Convention Center.
Cadengo opened the day in the men’s 400 meters where he placed second overall in 48.56 seconds. The time set a freshman record and moved him up to No. 2 overall in the indoor 400 meters at Portland State, all in his first-ever race as a Viking. Freshman Zach Payne followed at fourth in 49.80 seconds, moving him up to fifth in the freshman top 10.
Cadengo wasn’t done, however. He returned to the track for the 200 meters later in the day, and finished fifth in the event in 21.91 seconds. The time moved him up to second in the freshman rankings and fourth overall at Portland State.
Fellow freshman Jack Macdonald – one of the two stars for the Vikings Friday alongside Emma Stolte – nearly bettered Cadengo in the 200. Running in a later heat, Macdonald finished in 21.95 seconds, putting him third in the freshman rankings and fifth overall. Macdonald may have been able to push for a faster time but won his heat by more than half a second.
It was the second top 10 mark of the weekend for Macdonald. He got his first with a time of 6.93 seconds in the 60 meters Friday, moving him up to second in the freshman rankings and sixth overall.
Payne, meanwhile, followed his classmates with a time of 22.38 seconds in the 200 meters, earning him a second freshman top 10 of the day. Payne now ranks sixth in the 200 in the freshman record book.
Stolte, like Macdonald, followed a top 10 mark Friday with another Saturday. Fifth all-time in the mile after Friday, Stolte moved up to second all-time in the 800 meters with her finish in 2:11.99.
Stolte came within 0.34 seconds of the school record that Katie Camarena set at 2:11.65 in 2022. Camarena set seven school records that season, none of which have fallen since. Stolte came as close as anyone has to bettering one of Camarena’s records Saturday, however.
The Vikings also got a pair of event wins out of their field athletes Saturday. One didn’t come with much suspense as Edward Niyongere was the only athlete in the men’s triple jump after another athlete scratched. Even still, Niyongere jumped 46-07.50 (14.21m) on his second attempt, a mark that would have put him in the top 10 if he wasn’t already ranked sixth all-time.
Freshman Natalie Fisher, meanwhile, had a more dramatic win in the women’s shot put. She passed Nevada’s Johanna Haas on her final attempt with a personal-best throw of 40-00.00 (12.19m). Fisher, who improved on all six attempts during the competition, added close to 15 inches to her overall best in the shot put with the winning mark.
The winning throw also moved Fisher up to third in the freshman rankings in the shot put. She entered the freshman top 10 in the weight throw Friday, moving up to eighth with a throw of 38-04.00 (11.68m).
A number of other Vikings competing Saturday showed improvement over their season openers a year ago. That group included all four Vikings competing in the women’s 200 meters. Tori Forst and Sienna Rosario led that group at third and fourth overall, respectively, while finishing in 25.36 and 25.66 seconds. Forst’s time was better than her first two 200-meter times last season. Rosario’s, meanwhile, was close to two seconds faster than their season opener a year ago.
Savannah Beasley placed 14th in the women’s 200 meters in 26.76 seconds, setting a personal best by 1.7 seconds. Ashley Peterson placed 16th in 26.90 seconds, eleven-hundredths of a second faster than her season opener in 2025.
Dillon Brost did the same thing on the men’s side of the 200 meters. The sophomore placed 17th overall in 22.98 seconds, not a personal best but two and a half seconds better than his season opener as a freshman.
Aidan Sweeney set an overall personal best with his 200-meter finish in 23.71 seconds.
Freshman Farhan Ibrahim shaved close to eight seconds off his indoor best in the 3k while finishing second in the event in 8:56.79. Luke Gillingham followed at fourth in 9:03.13, shaving 13 seconds off his best in the 3k.
The Vikings will be back in action next week when they head to Seattle, Wash., for the UW Preview next Friday and Saturday.
Silver & Blue Invitational
Reno Sparks Convention Center
Reno, Nev.
Jan. 9-10, 2026
Women’s Results:
60m (Prelims): 3. Tori Forst, 7.74; 7. Sienna Rosario, 7.94; 11. Aida Wheat, 8.14. 60m (Final): 2. Tori Forst, 7.67; 7. Sienna Rosario, 7.92. 200m: 3. Tori Forst, 25.36; 4. Sienna Rosario, 25.66; 14. Savannah Beasley, 26.76; 16. Ashley Peterson, 26.90. 400m: 4. Ashley Peterson, 1:00.85. 600m: 6. Hannah Butterfield, DQ. 800m: 2. Emma Stolte, 2:11.99. 1,000m: 1. Hannah Butterfield, 3:07.26. Mile: 1. Emma Stolte, 4:54.25; 9. Sam Sharp, 5:33.24; 11. Libby Fox, 5:45.67. 3,000m: 7. Sam Sharp, 10:59.76; 10. Libby Fox, 11:26.42. 60H (Prelims): 15. Savannah Beasley, 9.66. Shot Put: 1. Natalie Fisher, 40-00.00 (12.19m). Weight Throw: 3. Natalie Fisher, 38-04.00 (11.68m).
Men’s Results:
60m (Prelims): 4. Jack Macdonald, 6.99; 16. Dillon Brost, 7.25. 60m (Final): 4. Jack Macdonald, 6.93. 200m: 5. Isaiah Cadengo, 21.91; 7. Jack Macdonald, 21.95; 9. Zach Payne, 22.38; 17. Dillon Brost, 22.98; 21. Aidan Sweeney, 23.71; Preston Jones, DNF. 400m: 2. Isaiah Cadengo, 48.56; 4. Zach Payne, 49.80; 5. Preston Jones, 51.36. 1,000m: 1. Amir Ahmed, 2:41.49. Mile: 5. Luke Gillingham, 4:29.48; 6. Farhan Ibrahim, 4:31.46. 3,000m: 2. Farhan Ibrahim, 8:56.79; 4. Luke Gillingham, 9:03.13. 60H (Prelims): 4. Aidan Sweeney, 8.66; 5. Deghlan Johnson, 8.68. 60H (Final): 4. Deghlan Johnson, 8.60; 5. Aidan Sweeney, 8.68. Triple Jump: 1. Edward Niyongere, 46-07.50 (14.21m). Weight Throw: 1. Daniel Coppedge, 50-10.75 (15.51m); 3. Carter Green, 36-05.75 (11.12m).
Sports
Meet The Journal’s high school girls volleyball All-State teams
Jan. 11, 2026, 5:01 a.m. ET
The Providence Journal is proud to announce the 2025 All-State Girls Volleyball first and second teams. The Journal Sports staff, with some help from the coaches associations, determines the first- and second-team members.
2025 Providence Journal All-State Girls Volleyball Team
First Team
Lyla Auth, Westerly
Senior, Outside hitter
Auth steered Westerly to its second girls volleyball championship as the best player in Division II. The Manhattan University commit finished with 268 kills and a 49.8 kill percentage this fall. The Bulldogs finished the year undefeated and Auth’s near-perfect play on the outside was the biggest reason.
Sports
Virat Kohli Creates History at 38, Smashes Three World Records in First ODI Against New Zealand
With this feat, Kohli surpassed the record of legendary Sachin Tendulkar by becoming the fastest player to reach 28,000 international runs, achieving the landmark in just 624 innings. In comparison, Sachin Tendulkar took 644 innings, while Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara reached the mark in 666 innings.
Kohli reached the milestone with a boundary, needing just 25 runs before the match to complete 28,000 international runs. Earlier, only Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara had entered this elite club.
The New Zealand ODI also saw Kohli become the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket history. By scoring 42 runs in the match, he overtook Kumar Sangakkara, who has 28,016 international runs to his name. Sachin Tendulkar remains at the top of the list.
In Test cricket, Virat Kohli has scored 9,230 runs in 123 matches, while in T20 Internationals he has amassed 4,188 runs across 125 matches. Before the New Zealand series, Kohli had played 556 international matches, scoring 27,975 runs in 623 innings at an impressive average of 52.58, including 84 centuries and 145 half-centuries.
Adding to his rich vein of form, Kohli has registered two centuries and three half-centuries in his last five matches, underlining his consistency and match-winning ability.
Virat Kohli’s latest achievement not only reinforces his place among the greatest cricketers of all time but also highlights his unmatched longevity and hunger for excellence on the international stage.
Sports
Long Beach State vs. McKendree, Men’s Volleyball – The562.org
Rasheed, also known as Casper, is a sports photographer who interned for The562 throughout his senior year of high school and is currently attending CSULB while continuing to freelance. To access his work, you can check his Instagram and site below:
Instagram: @visuals.casper
https://casper-visuals.com/
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