LOS ANGELES — Billionaire Philip Anschutz, the founder of AEG and owner of Staples Center, has agreed to sell his stake in the Lakers, sources confirmed to the Los Angeles Times on Friday night.
The deal, first reported by Sportico, is to an unknown buyer.
Anschutz is the owner of the Los Angeles Kings and the Galaxy, and a source said the move with the Lakers shares won’t affect his relationship with either team.
Anschutz owns 27% of the Lakers, the largest minority shareholder of the organization controlled by the Buss family.
The move is “part of some financial planning and redeployment of capital to other AEG projects and growth initiatives,” AEG chief executive Dan Beckerman told Sportico.
The Lakers recently extended their lease with Staples Center.
“Location, location, location,” Tim Harris, president of business operations for the franchise, told The Times in late May. “We’re in the heart of L.A., and the infrastructure is building up all around us.”
According to Sportico’s data, the Lakers are the third-most valued NBA organization at $5.14 billion, trailing only the New York Knicks and the Golden State Warriors.
