The Los Angeles Lakers and Dodgers have long been linked as the two most popular franchises in Southern California. Lakers legend Magic Johnson becoming a minority owner of the Dodgers only strengthened that bond and now the two franchises are connected even further with Dodgers owner Mark Walter officially purchasing the majority stake of the Lakers from Jeanie and the Buss family.
Of course, with Walter now owning both legendary franchises the questions about the synergy between the two are going to come. But those relationships have already begun as apparently the Lakers and Rob Pelinka have had access to the same resources the Dodgers have since it was announced that Walter was purchasing the Lakers over the summer.
In fact, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Pelinka has even garnered a relationship with Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman, leaning on him as a confidant throughout free agency:
“They have unlimited resources. And everyone with the Lakers right now, including Rob Pelinka, has access to the Dodgers’ resources and they have since that sale started to go through over the summer. Rob Pelinka has a relationship with Andrew Friedman. He leans on him as a confidant, as a sounding board. That relationship already exists and it has existed all summer long as they were making free agent decisions. So I think you see a lot of connective tissue already between the two franchises, but it’s gonna be a nice melding as they go forward in the next couple years.”
It only makes sense that Pelinka would turn to Friedman if for nothing else than to get an idea of how Walter operates as an owner and what to expect. But Friedman has also proven to be one of the best executives in baseball and, even though the rules in baseball and basketball are different, it can’t hurt for Pelinka to bounce some ideas that he has for the Lakers off of him.
Time will tell how the relationship between the Lakers and Dodgers will work going forward, but Walter will certainly want to replicate his success in baseball with the Dodgers on the hardwood with the Lakers and everyone being in sync will only help them reach that goal.
Lakers honor Dodgers World Series Championship during game vs. Spurs
The Dodgers won their second straight World Series in one of the most dramatic and thrilling Game 7s of any sport in recent memory and during their home contest against the Spurs, the Lakers honored the Dodgers on the court with players such as Mookie Betts and Will Smith in attendance for the win.
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