The Los Angeles Lakers grabbed national headlines on Wednesday after ESPN reported the Buss family is selling a majority stake to Dodgers co-owner Mark Walter for a staggering $10 billion—marking the largest sale in U.S. pro sports history. The news triggered a wave of discussion across the NBA community, with many speculating about implications for the team’s direction, roster stability, and what new ownership might bring.Jerry Buss bought the Lakers in 1979 for $67.5 million, ushering in the franchise’s most successful era with 11 championships, ultimately transforming LA into a basketball powerhouse. Now, under Walter—whose Dodgers won two World Series—new ownership brings deep resources and global ambition to propel the franchise forward.
After the unexpected news of the Lakers’ ownership transition, forward Jarred Vanderbilt drew strong reactions from fans with a post on Instagram.
“Lab,” he captioned his post.However, fans caught wind of the post on social media, and many opted to joke about the timing, tying it to speculations about roster moves under new ownership:lmaooo 😂😂😂 he doesn’t want to leave,” one fan wrote.
“Lmao he don’t wanna go back to Utah,” another fan added.
“man he been working on that shot for 3 years now and haven’t really made that much improvement lol,” another fan said.“Nawl buddy it’s time,” one fan mocked.
“He’s next to leave,” another fan declared.
“The nets gon’ need that from him for sure,” another fan mentioned.
Vanderbilt, the defensive-minded forward, quietly made his mark in 2024-25 despite struggles with injuries. He averaged 4.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.
