Lakers legend Magic Johnson applauded the agreement to sell the organization to Dodgers owner Mark Walter for an astonishing $10 billion — and found a way to poke fun at the Celtics.
The pending sale — reportedly the largest ever for a sports team — is set to end the Buss family’s control of one of the NBA’s marquee franchises.
“Job well done to my sister Jeanie Buss for striking an incredible deal and picking the right person to carry on the @Lakers legacy and tradition of winning,” Johnson, who owns a minority stake in the Dodgers, wrote on X shortly after the agreement was reported.
Johnson then had some fun at the Celtics’ expense, citing the March sale of the Boston franchise.
“Just like I thought, when the Celtics sold for $6B, I knew the Lakers were worth $10B!” Johnson wrote.
Johnson called Walter a “business partner” and a “friend” — as they are both in the Dodgers’ ownership group — in the social media post before going on to extol the CEO and chairman of TWG Global’s accolades.
“Mark Walter is the best choice and will be the best caretaker of the Laker brand,” the Lakers’ great wrote. “The proof is in the pudding on what he’s been able to accomplish with the LA Dodgers. Mark has been nothing short of a winner notching 2 World Series and 11 NL West divisional titles in the last 12 years!”
Johnson added on a second post that Walter is “driven by winning, excellence, and doing everything the right way.”
The Buss family has owned the Lakers since 1979, when Jerry Buss bought the franchise from Jack Kent Cooke in a $67.5 million deal, which also included the NHL Kings and the Los Angeles Forum, the two teams’ home at the time.
Walter’s sports portfolio includes the Dodgers, Spark and the Cadillac Formula 1 team.
He is also the primary financial backer of the Professional Women’s Hockey League and has a minority stake in BlueCo, which holds a controlling interest in Premier League club Chelsea.
“He will put in the resources needed to win!” Johnson wrote on X. “I can understand why Jeanie sold the team to Mark Walter because they are just alike – they are competitive people, l have big hearts, love to give back, and both prefer to be behind the scenes. This makes all the sense in the world.
“I am so so SO happy and excited for @Lakers fans all over the world!!