The NBA isn’t just about talent—it thrives on tension, legacy, and that extra edge rivalries bring. And no rivalry runs deeper than Lakers vs. Celtics. Imagine Magic Johnson smiling his way through with a baby sky hook in Game 4 of the 1987 Finals—or Paul Pierce being rolled off in a wheelchair in 2008, only to come back and torch the Lakers. It’s not just history—it’s business, pride, and banners. What if the next big Lakers-Celtics clash isn’t just on the hardwood, but in the boardroom? With every move, these two giants seem destined to keep one-upping each other.
And now, the latest power play is official. After holding it down since 1979, the Buss family is finally passing the torch—well, most of it. They’ve agreed to sell a controlling stake in the Lakers to Mark Walter, the CEO of Guggenheim Partners and the guy already running the Dodgers. CBS News Los Angeles confirmed the deal, and yes, this is one of the biggest shifts we have seen. But Jeanie Buss isn’t going anywhere, though; she’s staying on as governor and will still represent the team in league decisions. But make no mistake, the balance of power in L.A. just got a serious shake-up.
Byron Scott couldn’t help but flash that trademark grin when asked about the Lakers’ record-breaking $10 billion sale—and next: he made sure to rub it in Boston’s face. “That’s all that matters,” Scott laughed. “We topped them. We topped them! We beat them by $3.9 billion!” The former Lakers guard and head coach has lived and breathed this rivalry for decades, so even when it’s a business deal, beating the Celtics still counts. Especially when L.A.’s sale just shattered the Celtics’ own $6.1 billion deal from March.
Of course, Byron Scott also took a moment to show love to the Buss family, calling the move “a little surprising” but understandable. “We all know at the end of the day it is a business,” he said. “And business is always in business to try to make money. But I think the Buss family has done it right for so many years, led by Dr. Jerry Buss, who, in my mind, is still to this day the best owner I’ve ever seen in professional sports.”
As for Mark Walter, the new majority owner, Scott trusts Jeanie’s judgment: “She wouldn’t consider selling unless she sold to somebody who she trusted and who she had a lot of faith in to continue to carry on that Purple and Gold tradition.” And with ESPN reporting this deal as the most expensive sale in U.S. sports history—eclipsing the Commanders’ $6.05B and leaving the Boston Celtics in the dust—it’s clear the Lakers just raised the bar for everyone.
Byron Scott Gloats Over Lakers’ Sale Topping Celtics’, ‘We Beat Them By 3.9 Billion!’ | Click to read more https://t.co/LWXFHIpsqU
— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) June 20, 2025
Naturally, Gilbert Arenas had his own unique take—classic Agent Zero style. “I wanna say congratulations, Jeanie Buss,” he began, before diving right into panic mode: “But as selfish as I am, 7 billion dollars, that means he’s about to raise the prices to get it back…” He begged for a little breathing room: “Just hold on about 12 minutes, so I can renew my tickets at the price you have them at.” Still, he’s not jumping ship: “I’m still gonna be a Lakers fan because it gonna cost me nothing from home.” But his final plea said it all: “I wanna keep my seats… so just tad bit. Hold on, Lakers Nation. You gotta act fast.”
The never-ending Lakers-Celtics rivalry
It all started back in the late ‘50s when the Celtics, led by the ultimate winner Bill Russell and fiery coach Red Auerbach, started cooking up one of the greatest dynasties in sports. Between 1959 and 1969, Boston won 11 titles in 13 years—six of those at the expense of the Lakers. That set the stage for seven decades of highlights and heartbreaks. It wasn’t until Magic Johnson came along in the 1980s that the L.A. Lakers finally flipped the script. That era was electric—Magic vs. Bird, Showtime vs. grit, L.A. flash vs. Boston tradition. They met three times in the Finals in that decade alone. Magic got the better of Larry, winning in ’85 and ’87 after losing in ’84.
After a bit of a breather in the ’90s, the feud came roaring back in the 2000s. In 2008, Boston’s “Big Three”—Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen—beat Kobe Bryant’s Lakers in six games to grab banner No. 17, but Kobe didn’t forget. He came back to win it all in 2009, then finally got his revenge against Boston in a gritty seven-game war in the 2010 Finals. That win gave the Lakers their 16th title. And then came 2020—inside the Orlando bubble, with the world upside down, the Lakers, led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, tied the Celtics at 17 championships apiece.
Paul Pierce (R) of the Boston Celtics moves the ball away from Kobe Bryant (L) of the Los Angeles Lakers during the Game 3 of the 2008 NBA Finals in Los Angeles, California, June 10, 2008. Bryant scored 36 points and the Los Angeles Lakers held off Boston to defeat the Celtics 87-81, pulling within two games to one in the National Basketball Association Finals. AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images)
And if you ever needed proof that this rivalry still runs hot, just scroll through Magic Johnson’s X/Twitter feed. After the Celtics clinched their 18th title in 2024—beating the Dallas Mavericks in five games and officially pulling ahead of the Lakers in the championship count—Magic didn’t hold back. “I hate that the Celtics officially have more championships than us now,” he tweeted, with an eye-roll emoji for good measure. Classic Magic—competitive to the core.
That tweet alone was a reminder: this isn’t just history we’re talking about, it’s still very personal. The Lakers last won in 2020, and now the race to Banner 19 is officially on.
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