Lakers' Luka Doncic curse continues after Mark Walter's surprise $12.5B record-breaking sale image
The Los Angeles Lakers are the talk of the NBA on Wednesday morning after Mark Walter made the stunning decision to sell the franchise. The move came out of nowhere, as few people saw it coming.
The Lakers were taken over by Walter less than a year ago, but he has now sold the franchise for a record-breaking $12.5 billion.
“The Los Angeles Lakers are being sold to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger for $12.5 billion, a record-breaking price, multiple sources told ESPN. The businessmen were involved in the expansion process in Las Vegas, but in a stunning turn, they pivoted to make an aggressive offer to buy the Lakers from Mark Walter, who purchased a controlling interest in the team from the Buss family last year for a then-record franchise valuation of approximately $10 billion,” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne wrote.
Change can be a good or bad thing depending on the circumstances. Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has shown his support for the franchise during this latest period of change.
“Being a Laker means everything to me, and I’m excited to get back on the court and bring a championship to LA. I’ve gotten used to big changes over these last few years, but I know that no matter what, there is no limit to the potential of this iconic franchise. I look forward to meeting Josh and Bob so we can get to work building something special in LA together,” Doncic posted.
However, it seems like Doncic comes with a little bit of a “curse” dating back to his days with the Dallas Mavericks.
“This means Luka will have played for five different majority NBA owners once the deal closes. He is entering his ninth season,” The Athletic’s Christian Clark wrote.
A team being sold is not an irregular occurrence for a franchise led by Doncic. While it may simply be an unlucky coincidence, there is now a clear pattern of ownership changes surrounding the superstar. Once the Lakers' sale is finalized, Doncic will have played for five different majority NBA owners before entering his ninth NBA season.
Of course, Doncic has no control over any of the organizational decisions taking place around him, but change seems to follow him wherever he goes. It certainly isn't the worst “curse” an organization could have, but it is an interesting trend that has followed one of the NBA's biggest stars throughout his career.
More NBA news: