The NBA world was shocked by the sale of the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this week, and the news might have hurt one team more than every other.
The Lakers became the second team over the past few months to sell, with the Lakers going for a record $10 billion. Of course, the record had just been set by the Boston Celtics, which sold for $6.1 billion earlier this year.
Considering the Celtics and Lakers are the two most storied franchises in basketball, it was unbelievable to see the staggering difference in prices for the two teams. That staggering difference also sets up the Celtics to be a loser in this transaction that will almost certainly have a great impact on the rest of the league.
Sure, Boston’s big deal likely helped drive up the Lakers’ price, and the Lakers’ sale will only help with imminent expansion prices, but it’s still bittersweet in Boston. Had the Lakers gone for $10 billion before the Celtics sold, CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn theorized that Boston might have been able to secure closer to $7 billion.
As Quinn also pointed out, this “loss” goes beyond a simple difference in valuations, as the Lakers and Celtics are known as one of the best rivalries in all of sports. With so much history between the two teams, it’s clear to see that there is a little extra juice behind the Lakers going for so much more.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
While the ultimate difference will be decided on the court, these big deals will shape not only the future of both organizations but the entire league.
