Professional sports franchises are turning into the ultimate flex for billionaires with more money than sense. The Los Angeles Lakers just scored a mind-blowing $10 billion price tag, absolutely demolishing the previous record set by the Boston Celtics at a mere $6 billion just months ago.

Basically, owning a sports team is like collecting rare Pokémon cards for the ultra-wealthy, except these cards cost billions and come with courtside seats. Sports economists are pointing out that team values have been skyrocketing faster than tech stocks during a startup boom.

Why Are Team Prices Going Crazy?

It turns out live sports are the holy grail of entertainment in our streaming-obsessed world. With cord-cutting making traditional TV advertising about as relevant as a landline, sports broadcasts are the last bastion of guaranteed eyeballs. Streaming services are throwing cash at broadcasting rights like confetti at a tech IPO party.

The Billionaire Playground

Deep-pocketed investors aren’t just buying teams for bragging rights. They’re getting access to incredibly valuable fan data, potential gambling revenues, and the ultimate status symbol. Marc Walter, who’s buying the Lakers, already owns a chunk of the Dodgers - because why settle for one expensive toy when you can have two?

The Fan Perspective

Here’s the kicker: just because an owner throws money around doesn’t guarantee championships. Baseball’s highest-spending teams have only won the World Series twice in 15 years. Money can buy talent, but it can’t buy team chemistry or pure sporting magic.

So next time you’re crying into your overpriced stadium beer, remember: the team’s billionaire owner is probably having a worse day worrying about their investment.