Criticizes Los Angeles Lakers and Buss family harshly, with Bill Simmons taking issue with LeBron James financial rescue plan
Spiciness Level: 🌶🌶🌶
Y'all ready for some major shakeups in Lakerland? The Buss family, who've held the Los Angeles Lakers reigns for roughly half a century, are gonna pass the torch to Mark Dodger Walter, baby!
Jerry Buss, the family patriarch, bought the Lakers in 1979 and, boy, did he pull off a winning streak! In 1980, under the leadership of league MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and rookie Magic Johnson, the Lakers bagged their first title in eight years and second since moving to LA from Minneapolis. Jerry went on to oversee nine more championships until he passed away in 2013. His six kids took over, with Jeanie, his eldest daughter, stepping up as the team's governor.
But things didn't go quite as smoothly under Jeanie's leadership. The Lakers have missed the playoffs seven times since 2013, and from 2020 onwards, they've only made it to the first round once. There was also a bit of a family feud between Jeanie and Jim Buss. Bill Simmons, the NBA-loving podcaster, thinks they pulled off a win despite their often-criticized owners!
"I'm pretty sure they succeeded the last 20 years despite the ownership situation, the Lakers (my boy band bias aside)," Simmons said. "If LeBron doesn't decide to join them in 2017, they'd've been a complete mess!"
Now, let's talk about Mark Walter, the CEO of Guggenheim Partners and Los Angeles Sparks owner. Since he took over the Dodgers in 2012, the team has only missed the playoffs once and has won the NL West 11 times. They've also reached the World Series four times, taking home wins in 2020 and 2024. Mark's reportedly paying a record-breaking $10 billion for the Lakers, over two thousand times the mere $68 million the Buss family paid back in '79!
It'll be interesting to see if Mark can sprinkle some of that Dodger magic on the Lakers and help them climb back towards the top of the NBA mountain! 🏀🔥🌟
- Rumors about significant changes in Lakerland are swirling, with the Buss family possibly relinquishing their half-century reign over the Los Angeles Lakers to Mark Dodger.
- The Lakers' poor performance in recent years, including seven missed playoffs since 2013 and a single first-round victory since 2020, has led to speculation about the future of the franchise.
- The sports industry, particularly sports-betting analysts, are eagerly anticipating the possible trades and roster changes that might occur under the new ownership, hoping for a draft strategy that could lead the Lakers back to the playoffs and potentially the championship.
- The high $10 billion sale price of the Lakers, over two thousand times the $68 million the Buss family paid in 1979, is a testament to the financial success of the sports business in the past four decades.
- Playoff hopes for the Lakers might rest on the shoulders of Mark Walter, CEO of Guggenheim Partners and current owner of the Los Angeles Sparks, who has demonstrated a winning track record with the Dodgers, having won the NL West 11 times and the World Series twice.
- NBA analysts and fans alike are intrigued by the prospect of Walter's influence on the Lakers, with many hoping for a resurgence that could propel the team back into championship contention.
