Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Receives Gift From Lakers After Mark Walter's Purchase

Dec 14, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) poses with owner Mark Walter at press conference at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Mark Walter, the primary owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, recently agreed to acquire majority ownership of the historic basketball franchise, the Los Angeles Lakers, in a $10 billion sale on Wednesday.

Superstar Shohei Ohtani shared on his Instagram account that Walter hooked him up with a gift basket to sport some Lakers gear.

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Lakers sent Shohei Ohtani a gift basket. It’s really a new era. 💜💛

(📸 via @shoheiohtani on Instagram) pic.twitter.com/SF3i9C6guD

— Lakers Better (@LakersBetter) June 21, 2025

A Lakers basketball is prominently displayed, along with what appears to be a foam finger and some other purple and gold goodies for his newborn daughter.

Walter, along with Todd Boehly, previously held a 27 percent share in the Lakers purchased in 2021. This share was valued at around $5 billion according to The Athletic.

Since Walter and the Guggenheim group bought the Dodgers in 2012, they have secured four National League pennants and two World Series trophies. The sale back in 2012 was $2 billion, but Forbes has valued the Dodgers close to $7 billion as of March 2025.

As for the Lakers, Dr. Jerry Buss first purchased the team in 1979 for $68 million. The team has won 10 championships since then and ownership has concurrently been retained by the Buss family, eventually leading to daughter Jeanie Buss acting as the team's governor and controlling owner since 2017.

Buss will still act as governor for the iconic basketball franchise after the sale is complete.

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At six-foot-four, Ohtani has already proven to be one of the greatest baseball players to play the game, but now that Walter has acquired the Lakers, it's worth considering what kind of damage the three-time MVP would do on the hardwood.

Although this is next to impossible, especially because manager Dave Roberts specifically requested Walter not to take Ohtani, it will be much more likely to see some more Dodgers superstars attending Lakers games in the future.

Perhaps Ohtani and his family will be sporting some of the new gear that the Lakers gifted them.

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