The sale of the Los Angeles Lakers to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner came as an absolute shock to the entire basketball world, in large part because Mark Walter had only officially taken control of the organization from Jeanie Buss and her family less than a year prior.
There was a lot of optimism surrounding Walter due to his success as owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Iger and Kushner have never been majority owners of a team so not as much is known. But one person who certainly believes in them is perhaps the most well-known owner in American sports, Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys.
“I, first of all, know the buyers and know the ones that are making the decisions to come aboard,” Jones said in an interview Kay Adams of the Up and Adams Show. “They are outstanding and they have a complete appreciation for the legacy and the story of the Lakers. In my mind, having made the commitment they’ve made, they’ll take it onward and upward to a level it wouldn’t have seen otherwise.”
Jones would then continue on, telling a story about when the Fox Network became a broadcast partner of the NFL and how he knew they would do everything possible to succeed because of the commitment they made. And Jones believes that will be the case for Iger and Kushner with the Lakers.
“When Fox took over and CBS dropped out when Fox came in the league, there was a question about their financial capability and they didn’t even cover the United States,” Jones said. “Mr. Murdoch and Fox had made such a commitment, it was so dramatic, that there was no way that they wouldn’t follow up with everything it took to become outstanding.
“So I was on Nightline debating that with Pat Summerall and Pat was talking about how they had no talent, Fox didn’t, they just weren’t prepared, they didn’t cover the United States. And I remember Pat Summerall because Pat Summerall became a fixture over there at the time. And I said, Pat, with the kind of commitment they made they’ll go get the talent. Turns out it was him to come across.
“So I’m a big believer and if you put that carrot out there, if you put that incentive, things that are lacking right now will happen because they’re on an incentive plan to do it. They’ll figure out a way.”
Iger did a lot of amazing things in his time as CEO of the Walt Disney Company and Kushner has had great success in his field as well so the two certainly know how to succeed. Now, the question will be if they can translate that to the NBA and the Lakers and Jones feels that with how much they have put in to purchase the team, they will figure out a way.
Lakers to continue modeling franchise after Dodgers
One of the things that was happening with the Lakers under Walter was the franchising modeling themselves after the Dodgers and even with Iger and Kushner in charge, that is expected to continue.
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