The Lakers can bring Showtime back to LA and California

The LA Lakers will soon have two new owners — and that’s good news for fans.It’s also “Showtime” for the whole state of California.Bob Iger, of Disney fame, and Joshua Kushner, the founder of Thrive Capital, plan to purchase the team from Mark Walter, who only bought it just last year.It marks a new chapter in the history of one of the most storied franchises in the NBA.

Like many Angelenos, the Lakers didn’t start here.They began in Minnesota.

But they have come to define the identity of the city.Magic Johnson versus Larry Bird.Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the “Showtime” crew.

The big men: Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James.The incredible career, and tragic end, of Kobe Bryant.

The celebrities: Jack Nicholson at courtside, Jessica Alba looking her best.The Lakers have always been a flashy team, for a flashy city.But they needed a change.Walter bought the team for $10 billion, so he is making a cool $2.5 billion almost overnight.

Not a bad trade — though he may have been in a rush to sell, as he reportedly faces a federal investigation over his financial dealings.California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

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Never miss a story Another storyline is political: Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, who is President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and former White House adviser.Left-wing protesters complained when Kushner, a Democrat, bought a minority stake in the San Francisco Giants baseball club earlier this year.But so far, there has been no political turbulence in LA over Kushner’s role.That’s a good sign for other investors — and not just in professional sports.Maybe California is starting to realize that we need more investment, not less — and we can’t chase investors away over petty, partisan political differences.Iger and Kushner are paying top d...