# Iger and Kushner buy Los Angeles Lakers for record $12.5 billion 2026-08-12T21:34:08+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets Former Disney CEO Bob Iger and venture capitalist Josh Kushner have agreed to buy the Los Angeles Lakers for $12.5 billion, the highest price ever paid for a North American sports team, according to a person familiar with the deal. The sum is a 25% jump from the $10 billion valuation at which Mark Walter bought the team last year. Only three years ago, Michael Jordan sold the Charlotte Hornets for $3 billion. The deal still needs approval from three-quarters of the NBA's board of governors, which meets next month. Walter had faced reported federal scrutiny over his business holdings, including a phone seizure last autumn. Iger and Kushner had been exploring an NBA expansion team for Las Vegas before pivoting to the Lakers. Kushner must sell his minority stake in the Miami Heat to complete the purchase. ## Coverage - english.mathrubhumi.com - thehindu.com - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: Bob Iger, Josh Kushner, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, record valuation, sports franchise sale Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/bob-iger-josh-kushner-to-buy-los-angeles-lakers-for-12-5-billion/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/bob-iger-josh-kushner-to-buy-los-angeles-lakers-for-12-5-billion/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.