The ink was barely dry on Bob Iger’s retirement package before the former Disney CEO moved on to his next venture… and it’s right up the road in downtown Los Angeles.
In typical Disney synergy form, ESPN (majority-owned by the Walt Disney Company) announced that the Los Angeles Lakers were sold to an ownership group headed by Bob Iger and Josh Kushner (brother of Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law). The price tag for one of the most successful teams in the history of the NBA? A whopping $12.5 billion, which is about $2.5 billion more than the team sold for in October 2025. That’s a hefty return on an equally hefty investment.
The sale still needs approval from the NBA’s board of governors, which could take several weeks.
The purchase comes soon after the announcement on June 30, 2026, that NBA superstar LeBron James would not be returning to the team for the 2026-27 season (he’s headed to the Philadelphia 76ers), which will certainly save the new owners a lot of money.
“As lifelong NBA fans, we are deeply honored for the opportunity to become stewards of the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most iconic sports franchises in the world,” a statement from the ownership group said.
In 2024, Iger and his wife Willow Bay became the controlling owners of L.A.’s National Women’s Soccer League team, Angel City FC. The team was valued
During his tenure as Disney CEO, Iger had the golden touch and is credited with expanding Disney’s portfolio with the acquisitions of Pixar (2006), Marvel (2009), Lucasfilm (2012), and 21st Century Fox (2019), accomplishments which earned him a spot in the 2026 class of Disney Legends, which will be inducted on Sunday, August 16 during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.
You can read about this year’s Disney Legends class here:
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- Disney’s Succession Gamble: Is Josh D’Amaro Ready to Lead After Iger?
The Laker ownership is in major trouble with the Feds, so new owners coming isn’t surprising, but the fact that it’s Iger and Kushner is. NBA owners will approve this sale fast.
Now the question is will the Dodgers (same owners as the Lakers) be sold too? And could Iger and Kushner be the buyers?
Such a shame to see Bob working with someone from the Trump cabal, I thought he had more integrity than that.
I was laid off by Disney 3 years ago and still looking for work…but at least shareholders got a dividend and Bob Iger can buy the Lakers!!!
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