Walter was part of David Geffen's bid to buy the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014, when the team went for sale after former owner Donald Sterling was banned by the NBA for racist remarks. However, the team eventually went to Steve Balmer, who acquired the Clippers for $2 billion.

Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter, who also owns Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers, is acquiring the storied NBA team in a move that makes it the world’s most valuable sports franchise.

The Buss family’s decision to sell a controlling stake in the Los Angeles Lakers at a franchise valuation of $10 billion marks the end of nearly a half-century when one of the most valuable properties in the entire sports world was run by an eccentric father and his sometimes squabbling children.