Unpacking the record-breaking sale of the LA Lakers

NPR | By Jason Fuller,

John Ketchum

Published June 19, 2025 at 4:21 PM EDT

ESPN reported on Wednesday that a majority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers is being sold "for a franchise valuation of approximately $10 billion," citing "sources with knowledge of the deal." Author and historian Jeff Pearlman explains what this means for the franchise and the sport of basketball.

Corrected: June 23, 2025 at 3:31 PM EDT

In this audio story, as well as in a previous web summary, we incorrectly report that the Los Angeles Lakers had announced that the team will be sold for $10 billion. In fact, no announcement has been made, although ESPN reported on June 18 that an agreement was in the works. The terms of the deal have not been made public.

Jason Fuller

See stories by Jason Fuller

John Ketchum

John Ketchum is a senior editor for All Things Considered. Before coming to NPR, he worked at the New York Times where he was a staff editor for The Daily. Before joining the New York Times, he worked at The American Journalism Project, where he launched local newsrooms in communities across the country.

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