Los Angeles Lakers owner Bob Iger had an interesting admission about the Purple and Gold in an old interview.
The Los Angeles Lakers will undergo a change of ownership for the third time in less than two years after Mark Walter sold the team to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner for a record-setting $12.5 billion.
Walter purchased the Lakers in October after buying it from the family of Jeanie Buss for a then-record 10$ billion.
The sale of the team to Iger and Kushner was reported by ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne on Wednesday. Shelbourne said the new owners are focused on their “long-term commitment” as “stewards” of the Lakers. They described the Purple and Gold as an “extraordinary team.”
However, a quote from Iger’s guesting on a podcast in 2021 has resurfaced, as reported by the New York Post’s Grant Young, and some fans might be turned off by it.
“I am a (Los Angeles) Clippers fan. Having moved from New York to Los Angeles back in 2000, and being a big NBA fan, I needed a team to root for. In my youth, the Lakers were a big rival of the (New York) Knicks, the team I grew up rooting for. So I couldn’t root for the Lakers very easily. It just was not in my DNA,” shared Iger on “The Old Man and the Three.”
Of course, the Lakers and the Clippers have a long-standing rivalry, and rooting for the so-called “other team” in Los Angeles is unforgivable.
Well, Iger will definitely cheer for the Lakers now. He also owns Angel City FC in the NWSL.
Luka Doncic welcomed the sale of the team to Iger and Kushner, who have an estimated combined net worth of $5.8 billion.
“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,” said Doncic on X.
The Lakers are looking for their 18th championship to tie the Boston Celtics for the league record.
The Los Angeles Lakers will undergo a change of ownership for the third time in less than two years after Mark Walter sold the team to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner for a record-setting $12. 5 billion. Walter purchased the Lakers in October after buying it from the family of Jeanie Buss for a then-record 10$ billion.