NBA Reporter Rachel Nichols Sends Strong Message to Jeanie Buss After Lakers’ $10 Billion News originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
NBA reporter Rachel Nichols shared a heartfelt message to Jeanie Buss after news broke that the Buss family has sold a majority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers for $10 billion.
While Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter will now own the team, Nichols made it clear who she believes will always be the true heart of the franchise.
“I admire Jeanie Buss for many reasons,” Nichols wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of the Lakers owner. “There were so many obstacles she had to climb over… to become the team’s lead owner, and THEN she operated in a way that earned the extreme respect of the NBA’s other owners.”
Nichols also praised Buss for putting the Lakers’ values and legacy first.
“No owners will ever love the Lakers as much as she has,” she added. “In the end, I don’t know what else you can ask for.”
The $10 billion deal, confirmed Wednesday, is now the largest sale in US sports history. Despite the ownership change, Buss will continue running the team. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Buss will remain the Lakers’ governor “for at least a number of years,” a detail reportedly agreed upon by Walter as part of the sale.
The Buss family has owned the Lakers since 1979, when the late Jerry Buss purchased the team. Jeanie Buss took over as the lead governor in 2013 following her father’s death.
During her tenure, the Lakers won the 2020 NBA Championship and have remained one of the most recognized sports franchises in the world.
This isn’t the first time Nichols has shown support for a bold move in basketball. Just days earlier, she defended New York Knicks guard Josh Hart and applauded his support for fired coach Tom Thibodeau.
While some fans are hopeful the sale could bring in more money and help the team compete at a higher level, others, like Nichols, are more focused on what’s being lost.
“There may be more competitive teams out there,” she said in her post, “but no one will love the Lakers like Jeanie Buss.”
For now, Buss still holds a 15% stake and is expected to continue shaping the Lakers’ future, just not as the majority owner. Whether or not this partnership with Walter changes long-term remains to be seen, but for many, including Nichols, Buss has already left a legacy that money can’t buy.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.