JJ Redick’s Old Podcast Episode With Bob Iger Won’t Make Lakers Fans Very Happy

In one of the most stunning off-court moves of the NBA offseason, billionaire Mark Walter is selling the Lakers to former Disney CEO Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner less than a year after Walter purchased the franchise for himself.

The acquisition marks a startling development for one of the NBA’s most historic franchises and made waves across the Lakers’ fanbase, who will see their beloved team change hands yet again after being previously owned by the Buss family for over four decades.

Suffice to say, longtime supporters of the yellow-and-purple are less than enthused. A quick Google search of Josh Kushner brings up recent controversies surrounding his family’s massive business empire. Not to mention, news of the $12.5 billion blockbuster deal comes amid a federal law enforcement probe into Walter and his companies.

As for Iger, well, the worst part about the ex-Disney head honcho might be that he’s not a Lakers fan at all. Just a few years ago, he supported the other NBA team in L.A.: the Clippers.

That’s what Iger said back in January 2021 during a guest appearance on The Old Man and The Three podcast co-hosted by none other than current Lakers coach JJ Redick. Redick welcomed the then-Disney CEO on the pod as part of a special leadership series that pivoted away from its traditional format to discuss larger societal topics like entrepreneurial strategy, company management and more.

During the segment with Iger, Redick revealed that the Disney exec was a hardcore Clippers fan who allegedly sat courtside for nearly every home game back when Redick played for the team from 2013-2017.

Iger confirmed this, and opened up about how he started supporting the Clippers in the first place:

“I am a Clippers fan, having moved from New York to Los Angeles back in 2000,” Iger told Redick. “And being a big NBA fan I needed a team to root for, and in my youth the Lakers were a big rival of the Knicks, the team that I grew up rooting for. And so I couldn’t root for the Lakers very easily, it just was not in my DNA.

“So I decided to adopt the Clippers, which was actually a good thing because their seats were a lot cheaper than the Lakers, and actually they were just on the cusp of being fun to watch, it was the Corey Maggette, Cuttino Mobley era and then of course came D.J.—DeAndre Jordan—and drafting Blake [Griffin] and trading [for] Chris [Paul].”

“I’m a Clippers fan. Having moved from New York to Los Angles back in 2000 and being a big NBA fan, I needed a team to root for... Lakers were a big rival of the Knicks, the team I grew up rooting for. So I couldn’t root for the Lakers very easily; just was not in my DNA" 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/oIavYIwQkc
— ۟ (@lectyres) August 12, 2026

Iger went on to describe how he developed a close friendship with Chris Paul, and how he worked with NBA commissioner Adam Silver to create the bubble environment amid the COVID-19 pandemic era of the league.

What Bob Iger said about buying the Lakers in blockbuster $12.5 billion-dollar deal

Iger, who served as Disney’s CEO for nearly two decades, pledged his commitment to the Lakers shortly after the sale was announced Wednesday morning.

“As lifelong NBA fans, we are deeply honored for the opportunity to become stewards of the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most iconic sports franchises in the world,” Iger and Kushner said in a joint statement. “... Our long-term commitment is to build on that foundation, compete at the highest level, and serve this extraordinary team, its fans, and the city of Los Angeles.”

In a more personal admission, Iger shared more details about his decision to buy the Lakers with the California Post’s Khobi Price, admitting that he had actually pursued a Las Vegas expansion franchise first before settling on the deal with Walter.

“We were involved in pursuing the new franchise in Vegas,” Iger said. “And while that happened, it was suggested to us that maybe Mark Walter would be interested in selling his stake in the Lakers. And we immediately decided that given the value of the franchise and the iconic nature of the team, that we would be really smart to pursue it.”

The deal, per Iger, came together in a total of three days. Iger told the California Post that he had already spoken to Buss and Redick but has yet to discuss the recent development with Lakers superstar Luka Dončić.

Dončić, for his part, posted a short and matter-of-fact statement on his X account about the Lakers’ sale in the wake of Wednesday’s news: “Being a Laker means everything to me, and I’m excited to get back on the court and bring a championship to LA. I’ve gotten used to big changes over these last few years, but I know that no matter what, there is no limit to the potential of this iconic franchise. I look forward to meeting Josh and Bob so we can get to work building something special in LA together.”

It’s not too uncommon to see basketball fans changing allegiances, especially if they’re relocating cities. You could argue it’s something that’s more morally forbidden than socially taboo. Even so, the fact that Iger used to root for the Lakers’ intrastate rivals can’t be a good start for his tenure as the franchise’s multi-millionaire co-steward as he looks to ingratiate himself with a brand new roster and a rightfully embittered fanbase.

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