The Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Lakers are more connected now than ever after billionaire Mark Walter, who owns the Guggenheim conglomerate, bought the marquee basketball team.
Walter bought the Lakers for $10 billion from the Buss family, and with the sale going through, the Dodgers’ owner becomes the man for both of the city’s biggest teams.
Since joining the MLB, Walter has financed and powered the Dodgers into a powerhouse that not only spends more than any team but also efficiently optimizes every part of the organization — from the farm system to the under-the-radar finds.
Meanwhile, the Lakers have experienced limited success under Buss ownership over the past decade, winning only one title and not contending at the level expected.
The Lakers received a major boost when LeBron James joined, who essentially brought Anthony Davis to the Lakers, but otherwise, Los Angeles has failed to attract star power.
On the other hand, the Dodgers are signing top names regularly, courting Shohei Ohtani to join the organization ahead of the rest of the league.
Since Walter bought the Lakers, however, he has put Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka in contact with Dodgers executive Andrew Friedman.
What will the Lakers change to match the Dodgers?
Former Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi, whom Walter brought into the Dodgers organization early on in his tenure, has already been hired by the Lakers as an advisor.
Zaidi specializes in analytics and will advise Walter on which changes are needed.
Pelinka has detailed what the Lakers are looking to copy from the Dodgers, despite the cross-sport success.
“The baseball system and the NBA system are totally different in terms of how you can build a roster and what you can do to spend,” Pelinka said.
“That said, I think just their draft process and sort of how they’ve established their farm system is amazing. And I think there’s best practices in that as we evolve and get better going forward in those areas.
“And then, just the way they’ve sort of built out their front office, how deep it is. There is no expense they’ll spare in being the best sort of front office in the world. And you could just see that in the way they operate.
“And it’s also been great to have, you know, sort of outside allies and advocates looking at the Dodgers and the success they’ve had and what they’ve built over there, and being able to tap into a person like Andrew Friedman for best practices. He’s so incredibly smart and has done such an amazing job bringing championships to the Dodgers.
“So, just to have like another head of another team that you can, whether it’s a roster move, whether it’s a staff move, just someone that you can talk to, has been an incredible resource. It’s been tremendous working with Mark and everybody around him.”
Walter is looking to modernize the Lakers’ processes by incorporating analytics, biomechanics, and comprehensive scouting. He plans to hire several executives during the offseason to completely revamp the franchise’s internal operations.
He did it once before with the Dodgers, creating a modern dynasty that rarely exists in sports.
With the Lakers, the glamour franchise of the NBA could take back its seat at the top.
