The Los Angeles Lakers sent shockwaves through the NBA last month when reports emerged that the Buss family was selling its majority stake in the franchise to Mark Walter.
Walter already has ties to the city as he is also the majority owner of the L.A. Dodgers and Sparks.
Walter has been the principal owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2012 under the Guggenheim Baseball Management umbrella. Since purchasing the franchise, L.A. has made 12 consecutive postseason appearances, winning the World Series twice.
During an interview with Kyle Kraska of Fox 11, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman discussed what Walter is going to bring to the Lakers and noted his desire to win multiple NBA championships:
“I think the Laker fans had a great run. The Buss family has done an unbelievable job with the Lakers. Anytime a change of control is happening, there’s a risk of where that’s going because the Buss family has been such great stewards of the Lakers. But the good news is for Laker fans, they can rest assured that it is going to a guy that is incredibly competitive, wants to win so badly and he feels so much pressure to the fans, and appreciates that partnership between the fans and organization, and what that means. He is constantly putting pressure on us to do whatever we can to win. So I think when that is the North Star of an owner, and hire good people around, I think really good things happen.”
Walter is one of the most well-liked owners in all of sports, largely due to his commitment to fielding the best possible team and giving back to the community.
With Walter now overseeing the Lakers and Dodgers, there is expected to be increased synergy between the two franchises.
Jeanie Buss will continue serving as Governor of the Lakers for the foreseeable future. However, Walter can still positively impact the team in other ways, especially off the court, by infusing money into various departments of the franchise.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explains why Mark Walter is good for Lakers
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is well aware of the positive effects Walter can have on a team and thinks he will do great things with the Lakers.
“I think he does everything he can to provide resources and support,” Roberts said of Walter. “He wants to win and he feels the fans, the city, deserve that.
“That’s never lost and he’s always challenging us on how we can become better and not complacent or stagnant, to continue to stay current with the market of competition. To win not only now, but for as far as we can see out.”
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