MAX SPORTS: LA Lakers

Showing posts with label LA Lakers. Show all posts

Sunday, 23 August 2026

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NBA LEGEND KOBE BRYANT | CONTINUE TO REST IN PEACE 🙏

Thursday, 13 August 2026

WHO IS JOSH KUSHNER, THE BILLIONAIRE WHO JUST BOUGHT THE LAKERS?

Joshua Kushner, founder of Thrive Capital, speaks during the Hill & Valley forum at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images

New York — Josh Kushner doesn’t give many interviews or make public appearances often, but he’s keen on making headlines.

Kushner, the brother of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared, announced that he was teaming up with former Disney CEO Bob Iger to buy the Los Angeles Lakers for a record-breaking $12.5 billion.

It’s just one of many flashy deals and investments involving the 41-year-old as of late. His successful career as founder of Thrive Capital, a venture capital firm that raised more than $10 billion in its latest round, has served as a springboard to build his status as a powerful mogul.

“I think Thrive is a very small percentage of its potential. I feel like we’re just getting started,” Kushner said in a February podcast, frequently mentioning loyalty and humility as his core leadership values.

“I believe that my word, the word of the firm, is more important than anything else,” he continued.

Thrive has amassed a massive portfolio, ranging from early investments in high-profile technology companies like OpenAI and SpaceX, to trendy brands such as Spotify, Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS and movie studio A24. It’s also involved in sports, owning minority portions of the San Francisco Giants and the Miami Heat.

The New York-based firm also has an offshoot, called Thrive Holdings, which invests in companies that are working to modernize traditionally old-school industries through AI.

“I think this is the most important moment in our lifetimes. In many respects AI is underhyped,” Kushner said in a 2025 interview at the tech and policy summit The Hill & Valley Forum.

Kushner’s Thrive is also a pivotal investor in OpenAI, most recently funneling another $1 billion to the company in December, CNBC reported. He shares a close working relationship with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

“Josh makes high-conviction bets on high-quality companies and founders, and he doesn’t care too much about what other investors think. I feel a lot of camaraderie with that,” Altman told Fortune in 2024.

Josh, born in New Jersey, is the son of real estate tycoon Charles Kushner. He’s the younger brother of Jared Kushner, who is more well known these days as the son-in-law of President Donald Trump. His father Charles was pardoned by Trump in 2020 over a 2005 conviction on federal tax evasion charges.

Founder and CEO of Thrive Capital Josh Kushner attends the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference at the Sun Valley Lodge on July 10, 2026 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Josh, however, has largely steered clear of associating himself with the Trump family. Rather, he’s building one of his own with model Karlie Kloss, who married in 2018 and have three children. The pair are regulars at the Met Gala.

Still, the two have not been fully able to separate themselves from his family. (“Not even to dinner with the Kushners?,” one contestant on reality TV show Project Runway infamously quipped to Kloss over criticism about a dress designed for her.)

“I’m sure I’m not the only person in this country who does not necessarily agree with their family on politics,” Kloss said in a later interview. “… my man and I have been through a lot together and you know I’m so proud that he’s my partner.”

Kushner said in 2017 that “It is no secret that liberal values have guided my life and that I have supported political leaders that share similar values.”

Kushner also founded Oscar Health in 2012, a health insurance company that initially capitalized on the creation of the Affordable Care Act marketplaces and recently posted record profits.

According to Forbes, Kushner is worth about $5 billion.

Still, not all of his bets are successful: Last month Kushner’s Thrive Eternal was part of a controversial —and quickly scrapped — plan with FIFA to sell private stakes in upcoming World Cup tournaments. FIFA said that the money generated will be reinvested back into the sport.

Kushner’s purchase of the Lakers “serves as a way to put the FIFA controversy behind him quickly and almost turn a new leaf in the sports sector,” Mark Conrad, professor of law and ethics at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business, told CNN over email.

“It certainly puts him on the map more than before,” he said.

- Jordan Valinsky and Ramishah Maruf

Tuesday, 30 June 2026

LAKERS COULD TRADE FOR $90 MILLION FORMER LUKA DONCIC TEAMMATE LEBRON JAMES

The Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James have officially broken up after eight seasons.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, James informed Los Angeles that he will not return to the team in 2026 and will sign somewhere else. The free agency tampering period is set to open at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

"BREAKING: LeBron James will continue his NBA career for the 2026-27 season and has informed the Los Angeles Lakers that the franchise can move on without him because he will play elsewhere, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN," Charania wrote.

Losing James may seem like a big blow for the Lakers. However, the future Hall of Famer's departure from Los Angeles has been expected for months, and now the Lakers can move on and begin truly building the team around the face of the franchise, Luka Doncic.

Replacing LeBron will be no easy task, but if Los Angeles is serious about building around Doncic, President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka should explore a trade for one of Luka's former teammates.

Lakers could trade for P.J. Washington to replace LeBron James

Obviously, P.J. Washington isn't a better basketball player than James and would be a downgrade on the wing. However, what Washington brings to the table is solid three-point shooting, defensive versatility, and experience playing with Doncic.

Washington is under contract with the Dallas Mavericks for a few more seasons, but with Masai Ujiri taking over as President of Basketball Operations, he could look to retool the roster around Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving.

Trading Washington could emerge as a possibility, and the Lakers make sense as a landing spot. Washington had a ton of success playing with Doncic in their short time together in Dallas, especially during the Mavericks' run to the Finals in 2024.

Though Washington did struggle a bit from behind the arc this past season, the 27-year-old is usually a nice floor stretcher, and his ability to guard four positions on the court at any time makes him a valuable defensive chess piece.

Los Angeles could trade for Washington and immediately insert him into the starting lineup next to Doncic. If the team is also able to retain Rui Hachimura in free agency, a wing duo of Washington and Hachimura would provide the perfect blend of shooting and high-level perimeter defense.

Seeing James walk does hurt the Lakers, but the franchise now has the financial flexibility to construct this roster in a way that fits Doncic. Acquiring Washington in a deal with Dallas would be a nice first step towards replacing LeBron and appeasing Doncic, who is reportedly keeping his options open if the Lakers fail to deliver on their promises.