Lakers' Ownership Shift: A Missed Opportunity in the LeBron-AD Era?

A New Chapter for the Lakers

The basketball world was shaken today by the news that the Buss family has reached an agreement to sell a majority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers to TWG Global’s CEO Mark Walter at a staggering $10 billion valuation. As someone who’s crunched numbers for a decade in this industry, even I have to admit - that’s some serious capital appreciation for an NBA franchise.

The Timing Question

What caught my attention wasn’t just the financials (though they are fascinating), but Lakers reporter Nicole Ganglani’s poignant observation: “My only regret is that this ownership change didn’t happen during the LeBron James and Anthony Davis era. We wasted so much potential and opportunities those years.”

From my analyst’s chair, I can’t help but run the numbers on this alternate timeline scenario:

1. Roster Construction: Would new ownership have greenlit more aggressive moves around their two superstars?
2. Front Office Stability: Could fresh leadership have avoided some of the organizational turbulence we witnessed?
3. Long-term Vision: Might different priorities have extended the championship window beyond 2020?

The What-If Game

While counterfactuals make statisticians like me nervous (we prefer hard data), it’s tempting to speculate. The 2019-20 championship proved what this core could achieve with the right support structure. Subsequent seasons showed how quickly championship windows can slam shut in today’s NBA.

Looking ahead, this ownership change comes at another pivotal moment - with LeBron’s future uncertain and AD entering his prime twilight years. The new regime will need to demonstrate they’ve learned from both the successes and stumbles of the past decade.

Food for thought: In sports business analytics, we often say ownership changes create either immediate impact or long-term cultural shifts. Which will this be for the Lakers?