Los Angeles Lakers ($12.5 Billion in 2026)11 of 11Kevin Dietsch/Getty ImagesTo describe this sale as shocking almost feels like a disservice. Mark Walter is currently under federal investigation for alleged fraud, but there have been few (if any) whispers that he was considering selling the Lakers. From the summer of 1978 to the summer of 1979, John Y. He's the only NBA team owner since the ABA-NBA merger with a comparable tenure to Walter's in terms of length. Most sports owners don't treat their franchises like an episode of Flip or Flop, but that's almost what this feels like for Walter.