The Los Angeles Lakers have been under the control of the Buss family since 1979, when Jerry Buss bought the franchise for $67.5 million. Nobody thought the iconic basketball team would be sold again, even after he died in 2013. It had been over a decade since, and there were no indications that something was in the works. That all changed when news broke that the Buss family reached an agreement with Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter for a record-breaking $10 billion. No doubt other organizations throughout sports took notice, especially in the NFL. Kevin Warren and the Chicago Bears are atop that list.
While the Lakers are a charter franchise of American sports, basketball teams don’t carry the same value as football teams. The NBA is worth around $90-100 billion, while the NFL is likely worth around $190 billion. If the Lakers went for that much, one has to think football teams should reach beyond that price range, including the Bears.
Does that mean the McCaskey family will change their minds about selling? Unlikely. George has remained adamant that it isn’t happening. However, Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron made an important point about why Warren should be thrilled about this development.
Chicago Bears were valued at $6.4 billion in 2024, Lakers $7.1 billion.
With Lakers being sold for $10 billion, it's fair to say the Bears could get $1 billion if they sell 10% of the team to private equity to help with their cash flow and finance the new stadium.
— Bill Zimmerman (@BillTZimmerman) June 18, 2025
Kevin Warren has been looking for alternatives to public funding.
Initial estimates from his camp for the downtown stadium were the Bears needed around $900 million in public money to make up the difference. Governor J.B. Pritzker shot that idea down without a second thought. Since then, Kevin Warren has shifted focus back to Arlington Heights. The Bears intend to pay for the stadium themselves, but that presents a challenge. Where do they get the money they need? Private equity would be the answer. A new NFL rule allows firms to buy upwards of 10% of a franchise. That $1 billion Zimmerman mentioned would cover everything the Bears need to cross the finish line on financing. A new stadium would generate more prestige and improve the franchise’s value in the long term.
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