Top 10 Richest Team Purchases: Lakers Sell for Record $10 billion

The family-owned Los Angeles Lakers are about to be sold at a valuation of $10 billion, smashing the previous record for the purchase price for a team sport.

The cross-country rival Boston Celtics went for $6.1 billion just three months ago.

With team values soaring, there have been a number of notable franchise transactions in recent years:

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers have been in the Buss family since 1979, but Jeanie Buss has agreed to sell the NBA’s most valuable franchise to L.A. Dodgers owner Mark Walter.

Boston Celtics

The Celtics, who won their record 18th NBA championship last year, went for $6.1 billion in March to private equity mogul Bill Chisholm.

Josh Harris, who with David Blitzer owns the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils, added to his sports portfolio in 2023 by purchasing the Commanders for a then-record $6.05 billion.

Chelsea

The English Premier League team went to a consortium fronted by Dodgers part owner Todd Boehly that also includes Walter in 2022 for $3.2 billion. Another $2.2 billion was pledged for infrastructure and associated teams.

The Walton-Penner ownership group led by Walmart heir Rob Walton bought the NFL team in 2022 for $4.65 billion.

Phoenix Suns

Mortgage executive Mat Ishbia purchased the team for a then-NBA record $4 billion in 2022.

Dallas Mavericks

Mark Cuban sold the NBA franchise in 2023 for $3.5 billion to the Adelson family, which owns the Las Vegas Sands casino company.

Michael Jordan agreed to sell his majority share in the NBA’s Hornets in 2023 for $3 billion to Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin. Schnall had a minority ownership in the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and Plotkin in the Hornets.

New York Mets

Steve Cohen completed one of the richest purchases of an MLB team in recent memory, acquiring the Mets for $2.4 billion in 2020. It marked a monumental shift for the Queens-based New York franchise as they had been under the control of the disgraced Wilpon family.

Brooklyn Nets

Joe Tsai purchased the Brooklyn Nets for approximately $2.5 billion in 2019. He paid a total of $3 billion, but that included acquiring the Barclays Center in the deal. He bought the team from previous owner Mikhail Prokorov. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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