Hunter buying a AAA team sounds like a plotline of a season of Brockmire.

I hate how fucking true this is

let’s be real, if they got even a whiff of it prior they’d be running it ²⁴⁄₇ within seconds……after all, these assholes were running stories on shit like suit colour, fist bumps and a condiments years ago lol

If Hunter Biden helped an old lady cross the street and carry her groceries, it would be negatively reported.

If his ownership is anything like his negotiations with Iran the Lakers are going to struggle for a long time

Walter is in serious financial trouble. Like, sell off the Dodgers type financial trouble. I think a lot of people are speculating way too much. He got caught in a $21 billion fraud case and now he needs the money to pay it off

kushner just got new money after space x ipo and pending open ai is why. iger was probably also in open ai cause he forced an ai deal with disney before retiring

No it doesn’t. Why would Walter do that? And I think Jeanie would’ve sold to whoever gave her 12 billion lol. I think the investigation is worse than he and others probably assumed 

With as much money as the dodgers make? Highly doubt his group owes anything

Back in the day, sports owners traded franchises. The Red Sox, Expos, Marlins even did a 3 team trade in 2001. It wouldn’t shock me if that’s the case here, like the Lakers franchise and cash for right of first refusal for the future Vegas team. With the Vegas expansion, Walter wouldn’t have to deal with any of Jeanie Buss’ bs.

He’s not going to have anywhere near enough free capital for a while. The investigation will die once he pumps enough capital into his insurance business to level the books, but he would then need to either find new investments to offset his cash (which was the whole problem in the first place that he couldn’t) or kill the policies to reduce the needs (which with it being life insurance may take some time).

lol for sure and he they will be able to start it from scratch. Lakers front office situation was messy but this opens the door for them to do it the way they wanted.

At this point, what does the expansion go for?? At least 15B ?? 20B?? All these new owners keep bidding up the entry price

Or expansion is taking too long or was never going to happen

25% is a pretty good individual rate of return. But yes the scale still impacts how we feel about the number.

Those are meaningless numbers to include in a discussion about a hyper specific asset sale. A 25% ROI in 10 months for this asset is absurdly good.

I think Mark Walter had first rights to purchase the rest of team when he purchased a minority interest a while back.

Kushner was gunning for the Vegas team at a cheaper price but maybe after seeing financial results of 2 about to be 3 pro teams there, adding a 4th might become less lucrative and way less of a status symbol.

I’d also say every year Vegas becomes less and less of a Monaco of America and more Atlantic City. Yes, it hasn’t been “Monaco” since the Mob left 40 years ago but it’s really showing post Covid

Well, it does make sense, IF you are trying to launder money from say, illegal oil trading or crypto into a basketball team. 🤷🏽‍♂️

They didn’t want the Lakers. They initially wanted Vegas.

Buss wouldn’t sell to them.

This conspiracy makes a lot more sense if he:
A)didn’t make a very nice profit
B) couldn’t they lean on him more with the investigation and drive the price way down?

Why? Iger isn’t even a billionaire.

Reasonable point - maybe it gives them more security in a possible fight with Balmer

Could you imagine Private Equity Firms using sports teams as short term investments?

I didn’t say they would. I just said it’d be hilarious if they did.

Dolan is a special crony. You kidding? He will be first approval this time

The “NBA owner class” seems to disagree with you

I got it

That it’s a “normal” sale is indefensible. You can say there’s no bribe, the seller isn’t seeking to curry favor, etc. but it isn’t normal.

i understood that reference

Preach

the league office finalizes everything before owner’s vote. was a huge topic during the ARod purchase of wolves. he also talked about how the league office looked at tom dundon when he was defending him from being el cheapo

Disney has effectively banished Star Wars to the shadow realm with how piss poor Lucasfilm has managed releasing movies and shows.

You’ve already invested all your future resources in your very own Jokic. Unfortunately, it’s Walker Kessler.

It’s been a long day so I’ll let Gemini recap for ya:

David Stern played a decisive, highly hands-on role in vetting and approving potential NBA owners during his 30-year tenure as commissioner (1984–2014). Because the commissioner serves at the direction of the Board of Governors (the existing 30 team owners), Stern was effectively the primary gatekeeper tasked with protecting the league’s brand, financial viability, and governance structure. 
His role and process in vetting prospective owners centered on several key areas:
1. Financial Auditing & Liquidity Screening
Stern instituted rigorous financial background checks. Potential buyers had to prove not just that they had the net worth to buy a team, but that they had sufficient liquid assets and low debt-to-equity ratios to handle operating losses, local arena obligations, and payroll. He wanted to ensure buyers weren’t over-leveraged, which helped prevent financial distress like the league had seen in earlier decades.
2. Personality & Background Vetting
Stern treated NBA ownership as an exclusive fraternity, and he evaluated a buyer’s reputation, character, and potential risks to the league’s public image. He actively screened out prospective owners whose business dealings, controversies, or personalities might clash with existing ownership or embarrass the league.
3. Securing Arena and Local Market Commitments
A crucial part of Stern’s vetting was verifying whether a prospective owner had the political and local backing to secure modern, revenue-generating arenas. Before giving a stamp of approval, he required potential owners to demonstrate a firm commitment to keeping teams in their home markets—or, in cases like the Seattle SuperSonics relocation to Oklahoma City, vetting that the incoming group (Clay Bennett) had the financial and infrastructural backing to succeed.
4. Direct Recommendation to the Board of Governors
While formal approval of any sale required a vote by the NBA Board of Governors (typically requiring a three-fourths majority), Stern managed the process end-to-end. He met directly with prospective ownership groups, interviewed principal investors, and made formal recommendations to the board. If Stern did not sign off on an ownership group, the bid was essentially dead on arrival.
5. Managing Ownership Transitions Directly
When a franchise hit extreme crisis, Stern took direct control. Most notably, when the New Orleans Hornets were financially unstable in 2010, the NBA actually bought the team outright. Stern acted as the interim head/owner’s representative (famously leading to his veto of the Chris Paul trade to the Lakers in 2011 for “basketball reasons”) until he could personally orchestrate and vet the right buyer, eventually transferring the franchise to Tom Benson in 2012.