The NBA season started last night and both the Los Angeles Lakers – who are traditionally great but recently bad, and L.A. Clippers – traditionally terrible but recently good – are expected to vie for the league crown.
The Clippers won the first round of the invigorated rivalry 112-102 last night behind 30 points from their newly acquired star, Kawhi Leonard.
It was Leonard’s purchase of a San Diego County home earlier this year that signaled the then-Toronto Raptor might jet this summer for an L.A. team.
Leonard’s teammates and members of the Lakers, meanwhile, are usually in L.A. County. The players live in neighborhoods like Bel Air or Beverly Hills, particularly if they have families or are on long-term contracts, said Kofi Nartey of Compass, an agent who specializes in working on real estate deals for professional athletes.
Meanwhile, Clippers and Lakers players on rookie deals often live close to the teams’ respective practice facilities – the Clippers in Playa Vista, and the Lakers in El Segundo. “Manhattan Beach can be a destination for Lakers players, because of its proximity to El Segundo,” Nartey added.
Where exactly the players are living is a bit of a secret. “Discretion is a big part of my business,” he said. “I want to make sure the players are protected properly.”
Still, brokerage research notes and news reports give a glimpse of where stars run into each other on the (well-maintained) streets.
Where the Clippers Dock
* New Clipper star addition Paul George, who’s set to make $33 million in salary this year, purchased a Pacific Palisades home in September for $16.1 million that was owned by a former Clipper All Star, DeAndre Jordan.
George’s buy was a slam-dunk for hedge fund manager Curtis Macnguyen, who bought the property from Jordan last year for $12.7 million.
Variety reported the house includes a “hedonistic master suite,” plus, “soaring ceiling and gracefully sweeping staircase in the foyer.”
George’s house spans 10,000-square feet over three stories, has seven beds and 10 bathrooms, and comes complete with an elevator. Ramtin Ray Nosrati of Huntington Estate Properties developed the property.
*It was the real estate market that first signaled Leonard’s move to Southern California, with property records indicating he paid $13.3 million for a Tuscan-style estate in Rancho Fe in San Diego County.
Prior listings turned up pictures of the 13,000-square foot estate, which has indoor and outdoor sports courts, and a resort-style swimming pool. Laura Barry and Jason Barry of Barry Estates served as the listing agents. Laura Berry also represented Leonard in the purchase.
*Doc Rivers has been Clippers coach for six years, and he has jumped between a couple of luxury properties. He bought a Westwood condo for $5.5 million in 2013, only to sell the property a year later, and purchase a $8.2 million abode in Hollywood Hills.
Realtor.com reported in May that the coach is looking to sell the Hamptons-style home for $12 million. The home is located on a cul-de-sac amid the famous Bird Street properties and is 3,500 square feet.
Laker Real Estate
*Just as Leonard’s home in Rancho Santa Fe indicated he might jump to the Clippers, LeBron James’s purchase of two homes in Brentwood signaled his Lakers free agent signing.
James, whose net worth was estimated by Forbes to be $450 million as of 2018, first bought a $21 million estate in Brentwood in 2015. He bought his second mansion for $23 million two years later. The larger home is nearly 16,000-square-feet and includes a home theater, outdoor kitchen, and elevator.
*The Lakers’ newest star acquisition Anthony Davis is renting. The former New Orleans Pelican, who is slated to make $27 million this year, is leasing a $14.1 million home in Bel Air for $50,000 a month, according to TMZ. The home is in a gated community, and features six bedrooms and six bathrooms.
*Most of the Lakers players are new to the team this year, hence some of their splashiest real estate holdings are outside Los Angeles. Veteran Dwight Howard, for example, bought an $8.8 million home in Atlanta in 2016 that features a basketball court and a number of giant snakes.
Howard’s pivot counterpart, JaVale McGee, meanwhile, purchased a Mediterranean-style home in the valley suburb of Encino for $3.3 million. We know this because the home was broken into last month, and one of his title rings from McGee’s Golden State Warriors days was taken. McGee bought the home from singer Marc Anthony.