View Now | Kobe Bryant's House in Newport Beach, CA Photo: Yahoo Real Estate
As a sports fan, you already know that Los Angeles has multiple professional sport teams. There are eight pro teams to be exact. The Lakers and the Dodgers are the most talked about, but starting in 2017, they will have to share the spotlight with the incoming NFL Rams. Why is this important? Well, professional athletes break the bank when it comes to real estate. We are talking about average contracts being worth millions across any sport! So it’s only right that these sports icons spend their money on the more lavish homes around the city.
View Now | David Beckham House in Beverly Hills, CA
David Beckham, Alex Rodriguez, and Blake Griffin all own property in the LA area. And that is a major power circle of athletes from across the entire sports spectrum.
Alex Rodriguez is the highly talked about home run slugger who is currently playing for the baseball powerhouse known as the Yankees. But even though he is a New York super star, he spends a lot of time in his Hollywood Hills home that he purchased from Meryl Streep!
Speaking of baseball superstars, Barry Bonds, the all time leader in home runs, once called LA home as well. He sold his Beverly Hills mansion in 2014 for a whopping $22 million.
Another ex-SF Giant Barry Zito, owns a $4.2 million Sunset Plaza home. Besides a sprawling pool and expansive views, there’s a replica of an MLB pitchers mound on the property. Zito is a former USC Trojan and a Cy Young Award winner.
The king, Lebron James has recently joined the Los Angeles homeowners club. The current Cavalier may be hooping in Cleveland but he spends his free time in LA. Lebron recently purchased a $21 million mansion in the pricey Brentwood area. His neighbors would have been Tom Brady and his supermodel wife Gisele, but the two sold their mansion to Dr. Dre.
Kobe Bryant, unlike other super star basketball players, has spent his entire professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers. So it’s very fitting that the NBA icon owns a total of three mansions around the LA area. In 2015 Bryant sold his Newport Coast home for a record price of $6.1 million. The two-story property includes an office with a built in shark tank, a salon and an 850-square-foot gym.
Nick Young who is currently a member of the Los Angeles Lakers also made the move and became an LA resident in 2014. He and his fiancé Iggy Azaelea (rapper) bought a $3.4 million dollar home from the Disney Star Selena Gomez. The mansion is a fully remodeled multi winged estate with 6 bedrooms and 8 baths. It also includes a brand new media room as well as a bar and BBQ fire pit area.
Other basketball players that call this active city their home include Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and Dwight Howard.
Besides a ton of NBA ballers, one of the most celebrated American soccer stars Landon Donovan lives in LA. He has a new modern condo at the Ritz Carlton in Downtown, right across the street from the Staples center. He and his wife also own a $2.6 million dollar home in Manhattan Beach which they purchased in March of 2007 while Donovan still played for the Los Angeles Galaxy. His wife, Bianca Kajlich is an actress and is currently a part of the CBS sitcom “Rules of Engagement”. Landon retired as the all time leading scorer for the U.S. national team and is the only 5-time winner of the Honda Player of the Year award (MLS).
View Now | Rob Dyrek House in Hollywood Hills, CA
And what about the famous extreme sports athlete Rob Dyrdek? Rob who is a skater entrepreneur with a crazy personality and a thirst for adrenaline, has been an LA resident for many years. He has had many long running reality shows based in Hollywood. In 2012, Rob purchased a $2.5 million Hollywood Hills mansion with a pool and a ridiculous view. It is a beautiful contemporary estate with 3 bedrooms and a 3 car garage. He is definitely not a rookie when it comes to the LA real estate scene. In 2013 he sold his Los Angeles home that was used in the show “Rob & Big” to comedian and actor, Blake Anderson.
It’s this amazing city that brings all the super athletes together. Many of them also have something else in common besides sports – they are entrepreneurs. Most of these successful athletes have a massive fan base and love the nightlife so if you’re ever inside an LA club, be on the lookout for some large entourages. It might just be your favorite athlete sipping vodka at his VIP table.
