NBA Lakers Reportedly Set for Record $12.5 Billion Sale

The Los Angeles Lakers, a storied franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), are reportedly on the verge of a record-breaking sale. Multiple sources have informed ESPN that businessman Josh Kushner and Bob Iger are set to acquire the team for a staggering $12.5 billion.

This potential transaction comes less than a year after billionaire Mark Walter purchased a majority stake in the Lakers. That previous deal valued the team at $10 billion and received approval from the NBA Board of Governors in October of last year. Representatives for the Lakers were not immediately available for comment when contacted by Reuters.

Josh Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner (former advisor to US President Donald Trump), has recently been involved in a controversial private equity deal with global football governing body FIFA. FIFA had announced plans to sell a minority stake in a new subsidiary managing the World Cup to Thrive Capital, Kushner's venture capital firm, for an estimated $20 billion. This move sparked significant backlash and created a crisis for FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Bob Iger, the former CEO of The Walt Disney Company, also has a significant presence in sports ownership. He is a majority stakeholder in Angel City FC, a team in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The current reported sale of the Lakers, if finalized, would represent a new benchmark in professional sports team valuations.