Los Angeles Lakers, the most expensive transaction in sports history

An era is ending in the NBA: the Buss family has reached an agreement to sell a majority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers franchise to Mark Walter, CEO of the TWG Global holding company, ESPN reports. The transaction, valued at $10 billion, could become the largest sale of a sports club in history, surpassing the recent record of the Boston Celtics ($6.1 billion).

• A new chapter for a legendary franchise

The Lakers, one of the most valuable and popular franchises in world sports, have been led by the Buss family since 1979, when Jerry Buss bought the club from Jack Kent Cooke for $67.5 million - a package that also included the Los Angeles Kings hockey team and the Forum in Inglewood. Under Jerry Buss, the Lakers enjoyed a golden era of "Showtime,” with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and later, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. Since Jerry Buss' death in 2013, his daughter Jeanie Buss has taken over the management of the club.

• Mark Walter: Already involved in Los Angeles sports

Mark Walter is no stranger to the Los Angeles sports scene. He owns stakes in: Los Angeles Dodgers (baseball), Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA), Billie Jean King Cup, Cadillac Racing (Formula 1), Women's Professional Hockey League (WPHL). In addition, Walter has already been a minority shareholder in the Lakers since 2021, when he purchased a preemptive stake, which gave him priority in purchasing the majority stake.

According to ESPN, the Buss family will retain a 15% stake in the franchise, at least temporarily, maintaining a symbolic and financial connection to the legacy built over the past four decades.

• Luka Doncic, the franchise's new superstar

In another strategic move, the Lakers recently acquired Luka Doncic, the 26-year-old star seen as a key player in the team's rebuilding process. Even though the current season ended prematurely with a first-round exit, Doncic's presence and new leadership could usher in a new era of glory. Records and milestones: 17 NBA titles won by the Lakers, tied with the Boston Celtics (who just won their 18th);

$10 billion - current franchise valuation, a world record; $67.5 million - purchase price in 1979.

• Last title - 2020

This deal marks not only a change in leadership, but also a symbolic transformation in NBA history. It remains to be seen whether Mark Walter will succeed in leading the Lakers' legacy to a new "Showtime.”