The Lakers’ new owner is an admitted longtime Clippers fan
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 12: Bob Iger (R) and Steve Ballmer attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena on December 12, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In an ideal world, your favorite team would be owned by a lifelong fan who can keep the team competitive.
But those types of fairytales don’t exist in reality. The best you can hope for is that your owner
hasn’t gone on a podcast to talk about how he couldn’t root for your team because of past rivalries and instead chose to root for your inter-city foes.
If that feels oddly specific, it’s by design. Back in 2021, then-podcaster JJ Redick hosted then-Executive Chairman of The Walt Disney Company Bob Iger, who reportedly agreed to buy the Lakers alongside Josh Kushner on Wednesday, on his “The Old Man & the Three” podcast where they discussed the origin of him becoming a Clippers fan.
“I’m a Clippers fan. Having moved from New York to Los Angles back in 2000 and being a big NBA fan, I needed a team to root for… Lakers were a big rival of the Knicks, the team I grew up rooting for. So I couldn’t root for the Lakers very easily; just was not in my DNA" 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/oIavYIwQkc
— ۟ (@lectyres) August 12, 2026
Does this actually matter? Not really. There are probably not many, if any, owners who were actually a fan of the team. It’s just that Iger publicly came out as a fan of another team.
That being said, if you want to spin it into a positive, it’s clear that Iger is a fan of the game. If he was rooting for the Knicks when the Lakers were a legitimate rival, then he’s been a fan for decades. Similarly, if you’re buying season tickets to the Clippers when they have Corey Maggette and Cuttino Mobley, then you have to really like the sport.
Further to that point, in the statement released by Iger and Kushner, they acknowledged the importance of the Lakers to Los Angeles.
“As lifelong NBA fans, we are deeply honored for the opportunity to become stewards of the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most iconic sports franchises in the world. We have immense respect for the leadership and vision of Jerry and Jeanie Buss. Our long-term commitment is to build on that foundation, compete at the highest level, and serve this extraordinary team, its fans, and the city of Los Angeles.”
Again, none of this really matters. If you actually care about this, you need to re-evaluate some things.
What matters now is investing in the Lakers moving forward to ensure they remain ahead of the Clippers and everyone else in the league.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.