A stunning report came out on Wednesday that the Buss family has agreed to sell a majority stake in the franchise to Mark Walter at around $10 billion valuation, which is the largest in professional sports history.
Walter is the CEO and chairman of TWG Global, and already had a minority stake in the Lakers. Most notably, he is also the majority owner of the L.A. Dodgers and Sparks.
Walter has been the principal owner of the Dodgers since 2012 under the Guggenheim Baseball Management umbrella. Since purchasing the franchise, L.A. has gone on to make the playoffs for 12 consecutive seasons while winning the World Series twice.
The Dodgers have been one of the most successful organizations in baseball during that span, which many attribute to Walter’s commitment to putting the best possible team on the field.
“I think he does everything he can to provide resources and support,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Walter. “He wants to win and he feels the fans, the city, deserve that.
“That’s never lost and he’s always challenging us on how we can become better and not complacent or stagnant, to continue to stay current with the market of competition. To win not only now, but for as far as we can see out.”
Roberts could not be more excited over the news of Walter taking over the Lakers and believes he will do everything in his power to lead them to multiple NBA championships.
“He’s really committed to the city of Los Angeles in various ways, and sports is something that he’s very passionate about, and certainly Los Angeles sports,” Roberts began.
“I think it’s a very exciting day for the Lakers, for the city of Los Angeles. Speaking as a Dodger employee, he’s very competitive and he’s going to do everything he can to produce a championship-caliber team every single year and make sure the city feels proud about the Lakers and the legacy they’ve already built with the Buss family.”
In addition to his commitment to winning, Roberts praised Walter for being easy to get along with and giving back to the community.
“I think a good owner in my eyes, is a person that let’s their people that he hires, do their jobs, which he does a great job of letting Stan, Andrew, Gomer, Lon, all those guys, do their job. But also kind of holding us all accountable and providing resources needed — in this case, players — to field a championship-caliber team every year,” Roberts said.
“Also, doing stuff for charity and appreciating not just the baseball side, but the business side. He invests a lot of resources in that as well. That’s kind of all encompassing of what I’ve been fortunate to be around.”
Dave Roberts plans to attend multiple Lakers games
With Mark Walter now overseeing the Lakers, Dave Roberts said he is planning to sit courtside at multiple games next season.
“Yes. I’m sure a lot of people have hit Mark up, but I might add myself to the list,” Roberts said.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
