Byron Scott Gloats Over Lakers’ Document-Breaking $10 Billion Sale: ‘We Beat Them By 3.9 Billion!’
LOS ANGELES, June 20, 2025 – Former Los Angeles Lakers star and coach Byron Scott couldn’t comprise his pleasure over the crew’s historic sale, taking a playful jab at rivals Boston Celtics after the Lakers had been offered for a staggering $10 billion, surpassing the Celtics’ $6.1 billion sale earlier this yr. The record-breaking deal, introduced on June 18, 2025, marks the top of the Buss household’s 46-year possession and cements the Lakers as essentially the most precious sports activities franchise in U.S. historical past.
In an interview with KCBS-TV, Scott, a three-time NBA champion with the Lakers’ “Showtime” period, exclaimed, “We beat them by 3.9 billion!” referring to the hole between the Lakers’ sale value and the Celtics’ deal, finalized in March 2025. “I believed the Lakers can be the final crew that will be promoting!” he added, expressing shock on the Buss household’s determination to promote the bulk stake to billionaire Mark Walter, CEO of TWG World and proprietor of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Scott’s feedback, amplified by posts on X from @TMZ and @Zicutake, mirror the pleasure and rivalry fueling reactions to the blockbuster transaction.
The sale, first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, values the Lakers at $10 billion, dwarfing the earlier report set by the Celtics’ $6.1 billion sale to an funding group led by Invoice Chisholm. Reuters famous that the deal, which awaits ultimate NBA Board of Governors approval, may take months to finalize however already outstrips different main sports activities transactions, together with the $6.05 billion Washington Commanders sale in 2023. Jeanie Buss, who has served as crew president since her father Jerry Buss’s loss of life in 2013, will retain a minority stake and proceed as crew governor, making certain a continued household connection.
Scott’s gloating underscores the Lakers-Celtics rivalry, with the Lakers’ 17 NBA championships trailing Boston’s 18. CBS Sports activities highlighted the sting for Celtics followers, noting, “Rivalries thrive on stage enjoying fields. Effectively, the free market simply confirmed us that the Lakers are price much more than the Celtics.” Magic Johnson, one other Lakers legend, echoed Scott’s enthusiasm on X, stating, “When the Celtics offered for $6B, I knew the Lakers had been price $10B!” His optimism stems from Walter’s profitable observe report with the Dodgers, which he believes will translate to the Lakers’ future.
The sale comes amid a robust interval for the Lakers, who posted a 50-win season in 2024-25, bolstered by stars LeBron James and Luka Dončić. Sports activities Illustrated reported hypothesis that the crew may purchase a $76.5 million Celtics star to reinforce their roster, positioning them for title rivalry. Nevertheless, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst warned that the sale may drawback different NBA groups, as Walter’s deep pockets—evidenced by his stakes within the Dodgers, Los Angeles Sparks, and Chelsea FC—might give the Lakers a monetary edge in free company and infrastructure upgrades, like rival Los Angeles Clippers’ $2 billion Intuit Dome.
Fan reactions on X are blended. @SportsCentralLA quoted Scott’s shock on the sale, whereas @HeismanMeth famous the deal’s potential to achieve $12 billion, additional widening the hole with Boston. Some Celtics followers, per SI.com, expressed frustration over dropping the valuation report simply three months after their sale. The Lakers’ international model, constructed on icons like Magic, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron, and their Hollywood attract, drove the unprecedented value, per The Washington Submit.
Because the Lakers enter a brand new period beneath Walter, Scott’s boast encapsulates the franchise’s enduring swagger, setting the stage for intensified competitors each on and off the courtroom.
By Satish Mehra, Sports activities Correspondent
