Dodgers President Makes Bold Prediction for New Lakers Owner Mark Walter

Dec 14, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter at a introductory press conference for Shohei Ohtani at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The sports connection in the city of Angels has never been stronger after the principal owner of the defending MLB champion Los Angeles Dodgers purchased a majority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers in June.

Although championship DNA is prevalent in both teams, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman gave his unique insight into what Walter's leadership is like and how competitive he can be when it comes to winning.

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“I think the Laker fans had a great run," Friedman said. "The Buss family has done an unbelievable job with the Lakers. Anytime a change of control is happening, there’s a risk of where that’s going because the Buss family has been such great stewards of the Lakers.

"But the good news is for Laker fans, they can rest assured that it is going to a guy that is incredibly competitive, wants to win so badly and he feels so much pressure to the fans, and appreciates that partnership between the fans and organization, and what that means," Friedman added. "He is constantly putting pressure on us to do whatever we can to win. So I think when that is the North Star of an owner, and hire good people around, I think really good things happen.”

In a world where so many sports franchises pay more attention to the bottom line and not enough to the fan experience, Walter is one of the most respected owners across the world of sports for a few reasons.

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The Dodgers in particular are known for immense spending on top talent. This presents itself in a roster payroll that has been towards the top of MLB for the past few seasons, and has resulted in two championships and 12 consecutive postseason appearances.

Walter has made other investments as well that go beyond the payroll like the $100 million in renovations for the team clubhouse. The state-of-the-art training equipment and technology is rarely seen in the public eye, but if something will help the team win more games, chances are Walter is already on it.

Only time will tell what happens next with the Lakers, but inking a three-year, $165 million extension with Luka Doncic seems to be an enormous step in an exciting direction for the Purple and Gold.

For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.