Los Angeles Lakers icon Magic Johnson may not be with the franchise in an official capacity anymore, but he remains a fixture in the community thanks to his partnership with Mark Walter and the Guggenheim Group.
As part of the ownership group, Johnson is a minority owner for several teams including, most notably, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Since the Guggenheim Group purchased the Dodgers, the franchise has been arguably the best in baseball and is considered to be a favorite to win this year’s World Series.
The Dodgers aren’t the only team in L.A. the group owns, though, as they also control the Los Angeles Sparks. Unlike the Dodgers, the Sparks are still finding their way though their new regime and young talent lends some optimism that things will quickly turn. Gone are the greats like Candace Parker, but this next era of Sparks basketball seems promising.
Off the court, the Sparks announced they will be building a new, state-of-the-art practice facility some time in 2027. Johnson expressed his excitement over the development, via his personal X account:
I’m excited about the new LA Sparks state-of-the-art practice facility which will be the best in all of the WNBA!
I want to congratulate my Sparks partner and new Lakers Owner Mark Walter, as well as my business partner Eric Holoman, for making this dream facility come to… https://t.co/39CBXh77ew
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) September 24, 2025
The Sparks’ new practice facility will cost $150 million and will be located in El Segundo, the same location as the Lakers’ practice facility. It represents the largest investment for a single team in women’s sports, a sign that the game of basketball is growing even more exponentially.
Other WNBA teams such as the Las Vegas Aces, Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm have already built dedicated training centers for their teams but the Sparks will reset expectations for what a facility should look like. Outfitted with full-length basketball courts, gym and exercise equipment, recovery stations and recreational areas, Sparks players will have every resource at their disposal to improve their games and rest their bodies.
Johnson should be happy about the new development as it will also serve as a factor when pitching free agents to come to L.A. It’ll be exciting to see what the new practice facility looks like once it opens in 2027.
Dwight Howard wanted to play like Magic Johnson growing up
Magic Johnson was a generational superstar, redefining who could play point guard at the NBA level. Dwight Howard ended up being a dominant defensive center during his playing days, but he revealed he wanted to play like Johnson growing up.
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