Bob Iger, Once a Clippers Fan, Joins Ownership Group Buying Lakers for $12.5 Billion

Bob Iger, the former chief executive of Disney, has joined an ownership consortium acquiring the Los Angeles Lakers in a transaction valued at $12.5 billion. The acquisition marks a striking reversal for Iger, who had long been associated with the franchise’s crosstown rival, the Clippers, and had explicitly stated his inability to support the Lakers.

During a January 2021 appearance on “The Old Man and the Three” podcast hosted by current Lakers head coach JJ Redick, Iger explained his decades-long allegiance to the Clippers after relocating to California in 2000. He told Redick that embracing the Lakers “just was not in my DNA,” citing his upbringing as a New York Knicks devotee as the primary obstacle to supporting the purple and gold.

Iger’s preference for the Clippers stemmed partly from practical considerations beyond emotional attachment. He noted that courtside seating at the Clippers was substantially more affordable than equivalent Lakers seats, making the franchise a more economical choice for his basketball entertainment needs.

Mark Walter, a billionaire investor, had agreed to purchase the Buss family’s controlling interest in the Lakers in June 2025 at approximately $10 billion. The rapid resale fourteen months later for $12.5 billion has raised questions given that Walter’s business operations are reportedly under federal investigation regarding substantial private-credit investments.

The timing of Iger’s entry into Lakers ownership represents a remarkable career arc for an executive who once could not envision himself supporting the storied franchise. His transformation from casual Clippers observer to co-owner of the Lakers demonstrates how circumstances and business opportunities can reshape long-held personal positions.