WHY JEANIE BUSS SELLING LAKERS IS DIFFERENT FROM MARK CUBAN

With Jeanie Buss’ selling of majority ownership with the Lakers, her role is expected to be different than Mark Cuban’s after Mavericks sale.

The NBA world was greeted with shocking news on Wednesday when it was announced that the Buss family would be selling their majority ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers’ sale was valued at $1o million and majority ownership would belong to Mark Walter, the CEO and chairman of TWG Global. But even after the Lakers’ sale, Jeanie Buss still plans to have a major role within the organization.

While Jeanie Buss will no longer hold majority ownership following the sale of the Lakers, she is expected to remain as team governor and oversee day-to-day operations, as per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Buss’ role with the team is supposed to differ from Mark Cuban’s role after he sold majority ownership of the Dallas Mavericks, although it’s unclear how that would be handled.

Cuban was reportedly supposed to maintain a similar role with the Mavericks, but it never happened and the team traded franchise star Luka Doncic, a move that Cuban has said he would have never done.

In the Lakers’ case, Walter had been a minority owner of the team since 2021, and reportedly Buss maintaining control of day-to-day operations was always part of a potential sale agreement. The Buss family has owned the Lakers since 1979 when Jerry Buss first purchased the franchise. Under the Buss family, the Lakers have won 11 NBA championships with the most recent coming in 2020.

With LeBron James’ potential retirement sometime on the horizon, Walter and the Lakers appear primed for the future with Doncic as the new franchise player. General manager Rob Pelinka is tasked with building a contending roster around Doncic following the team’s disappointing elimination in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Among the top items of business for the Lakers this offseason is James’ contract. The Lakers star can opt into his deal for next season, or he can opt out and sign a new contract with the team.

- David Yapkowitz

CHELSEA'S MAJORITY SHAREHOLDER CLEARLAKE CAPITAL NOT SELLING - SOURCES

Clearlake Capital board member Behdad Eghbali(Image: Glyn Kirk/IKImages/AFP/Getty Images)

Chelsea's majority shareholder Clearlake Capital are not interested in selling their stake amid suggestions of a power battle at the club, sources told ESPN.

A report by Bloomberg on Friday claimed that the Blues' most prominent shareholders are exploring options to buy each other out but sources close to the ownership have told ESPN that Clearlake are solely focused on providing long-term stability at Stamford Bridge.

Clearlake own 61.54% of Chelsea with the remaining 38.46% split between businessmen Todd Boehly, Mark Walter and Hansjorg Wyss.

Sources told ESPN that while relations between Boehly and Clearlake co-founder Behdad Eghbali have cooled in recent times, their relationship remains professional.

Sources suggested that no direct talks between any individual investor and Clearlake have taken place at time of writing but Clearlake are open to increasing their stake should the situation arise.

Boehly, Eghbali and Clearlake co-founder Jose E Feliciano have sign-off on all major decisions affecting the club.

The consortium completed their takeover in May 2022 after Chelsea were put up for sale following previous owner Roman Abramovich's sanctioning by the United Kingdom government for alleged ties to Russia President Vladimir Putin.

Boehly assumed a prominent role in the first summer following the change of ownership, operating as acting sporting director before the club appointed an executive team to lead Chelsea forward.

- James Olley, Senior Writer, ESPN FC

IN FIRST NEWS CONFERENCE WITH DODGERS, SHOHEI OHTANI DODGES QUESTIONS ABOUT TOMMY JOHN SURGERY

AP Photo 

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani opened his first news conference with the Los Angeles Dodgers by dodging questions about whether he had a second Tommy John surgery.

“At the time of the announcement, we didn't know which way we were going to go. That's why I never said what type of procedure was going to be done,” Ohtani said through a translator Thursday during his introduction after receiving a record $700 million, 10-year contract.

It was Ohtani’s first time speaking with the media since Aug. 9, two weeks before a pitching injury that required surgery with Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Sept. 19 and will keep him off the mound until 2025. Ohtani had Tommy John surgery performed by ElAttrache on Oct. 1, 2018.

“I’m not obviously an expert in the medical field, but it was a procedure," Ohtani said. "I’m not sure what it’s called. I know it was completely different from my first time, so I don’t know what you want to call it. You could probably talk to my doctor about that.”