Josh Kushner's move toward Lakers ownership is already bringing a wider sports-business record with it.
Kushner and Bob Iger are set to buy the Lakers from Mark Walter in a deal valued at $12.5 billion, pending NBA approval. Kushner's role has drawn attention because of Thrive Eternal, the investment fund recently linked to FIFA Forward Enterprise.
The proposed FIFA structure would have created a new entity to run major commercial events, including the World Cup and Club World Cup. The plan, according to the cited report, included selling a 20 percent stake to private investors led by Thrive Eternal for $4.2 billion.
That proposal did not survive the backlash. UEFA threatened a boycott, and other continental bodies, including CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation, opposed the plan. FIFA later scrapped it after the resistance became too large to ignore.
None of that decides how Kushner and Iger would run the Lakers. It does explain why the sale is being viewed as more than a normal ownership change. For a franchise built on trust, legacy and star power, the background of the incoming money will be part of the conversation until the Board of Governors votes.
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