The Los Angeles Lakers are about to change hands again – and the numbers are simply jaw-dropping.Just 14 months after Mark Walter acquired the NBA giants at a record $10 billion valuation, the Lakers are being sold to a group led by former Disney CEO Bob Iger and businessman Joshua Kushner for a staggering $12.5 billion. The deal, which still requires NBA approval, would set a new record for the most valuable sports franchise ever.The Los Angeles Lakers are being sold to former Disney CEO Bob Iger and businessman Josh Kushner for $12 billion, per @espn.It's the most-expensive sale of a U.S. sports team in history. pic.twitter.com/NIV1rHSuGU— Front Office Sports (@FOS) August 12, 2026 In other words, the Lakers' valuation has soared by $2.5 billion in just over a year.Walter's brief spell as majority owner began in 2025, when he agreed to take control from the Buss family in a deal that itself shattered the previous record for a sports franchise sale.Now Iger and Kushner are prepared to take that record to another level.##NAJAVA_MECA_9889453##The eye-watering figure is even more remarkable when put into perspective: the Lakers were valued at $10 billion only last year, meaning their valuation has jumped by 25 per cent in roughly 14 months.For Iger, the former Disney chief, the Lakers represent his latest major investment in professional sport. Kushner, meanwhile, already owns stakes in professional sports and is the younger brother of Jared Kushner.