Lakers Give Special Honor to Dodgers After World Series Win

Oct 31, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) and pitcher Blake Snell (7) and pitcher Tyler Glasnow (31) celebrate with the Commissioner's Trophy in the clubhouse after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The crossover between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Lakers — arguably the top-two flagship franchises in the city — is even further deeply woven together than it had been.

Mark Walter recently acquired a majority ownership stake in the Los Angeles Lakers. He also is owner/chairman of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Given what the Dodgers have done under his stewardship, those who bleed Purple and Gold have to be elated at him taking over the Lakers.

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On Sunday night, the Lakers squared off at home versus the Miami Heat. Paying tribute to the newly-minted back-to-back champs, a video message was put on the jumbotron of Crypto.com Arena in which the Dodgers were rightfully celebrated.

The Lakers played a special video to congratulate the Dodgers on their World Series title at their game tonight 💙💜💛 pic.twitter.com/9dTrYpYyyS

— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) November 3, 2025

Footage of Saturday's scintillating game was shown — from the homers courtesy of Miguel Rojas and Will Smith to the unassisted double play by Mookie Betts which ended the game and earned the franchise its ninth World Series title.

Walter himself was in attendance having just been in Toronto the night before celebrating on the field with the team.

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It will be very fascinating to see how a Walter-led Lakers evolves from its current form. With the Dodgers, the directive included a total revamping of the ecosystem and inner-workings of the franchise. This included huge investments in the team's scouting department, training staff, and facilities.

While the Lakers are far from operating as a "poor" franchise, improvements certainly can be made to modernize the team and bring them into the current standing within the NBA.

Mark Walter in the building, fresh off the Dodgers win. pic.twitter.com/dKGwwCiQ2J

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 3, 2025

Based on the level of winning with the Dodgers, and the drive to win at the highest level, a there's no doubt a similar commitment to competiting will be made with this glamorous and highly accomplished franchise.

Mark Walter's First Big Lakers Test

The first step in Walter's navigation will involve dealing with Austin Reaves and his expected opt-out. The star guard has exploded early in the year, and there's a reality that he could be in line to make upwards of $40 million a year given his age and production next to Luka Doncic.

Additionally, with Doncic being the cornerstone of the franchise, Walter will likely do anything in his power to make his star power comfortable.

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