​The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly being sold to Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner in a deal that values the club at a record $12.5 billion (RONALD MARTINEZ)The Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most successful teams in NBA history, are being sold to former Disney CEO Bob Iger and investor Joshua Kushner in a deal valued at a reported $12.5 billion.The sale announced on Wednesday would mark a record-breaking valuation for a North American sports franchise and comes only about a year after billionaire Mark Walter agreed to buy a controlling interest in the team in a then-record $10 billion deal.Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.”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,” Kushner and Iger said in a statement.”We have immense respect for the leadership and vision of Jerry and Jeanie Buss. 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.”Walter’s purchase, reported in June last year, ended the Buss family’s 46-year reign over the NBA giants.The Lakers have won 17 NBA championships, second only to the Boston Celtics.The team has been home to some of the league’s biggest superstars including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal and the late Kobe Bryant.- ‘Big changes’ -LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, just left the squad for the Philadelphia 76ers after spending eight years and winning one title with the Lakers.The team is now moving forward with a lineup spearheaded by 27-year-old Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic, who posted on X that he was eager to meet the Lakers’ new owners.”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,” Doncic said in his post. “I look forward to meeting Josh and Bob so we can get to work building something special in LA together.”The sale still requires approval from the NBA’s board of governors.Jeanie Buss had continued to serve as the Lakers’ governor after the club was sold to Walter in a deal that further expanded the sports portfolio of his TWG Global holding company.Walter also owns Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers and a stake in English Premier League club Chelsea.His acquisition of the Lakers had marked the end of an era in the NBA, whose modern popularity owes much to the franchise’s 1980s heyday.However, Walter is currently under federal investigation for possible tax fraud involving his insurance businesses.”Owning the Los Angeles Lakers has been one of the great honors of my life — an extraordinary investment, but what I will carry with me is the community, the fans, and a city that treats this team as family,” Walter said in a statement.Kushner, founder of the Thrive Capital investment firm, previously he