Sports Stars Make Biggest Sale in MB History

Only last year, Manhattan Beach saw the highest-priced home sale in its history, a $24.500M sale at 1800 The Strand. 

Now, there's one bigger, a Hill Section sale that closed off-market for $25.000M a few weeks back.

And the news is all over this one, a reporter having sussed out that the seller was tennis star Maria Sharapova (a longtime local) and the buyer was new Lakers superstar Luka Doncic. (Here's the Daily Breeze story that broke the news, and includes photos, details and links.)

Luka, welcome to town!

Soon after Doncic's shocking trade from Dallas to the Lakers earlier this year, he told reporters that living near the ocean would be a major benefit of playing in L.A.

Now, after a 3-year, $165-million contract extension, he's got a huge, newer, custom modern home that is in one of the best ocean-view locations in the Hill Section. And it's definitely walkable to the beach. So, go enjoy the ocean!

Most of the multi-level home runs down a fairly steep slope, meaning that it's modest and easy to miss from the outside, while spacious and full of view spots throughout, once inside. 

Out of discretion, we're not going to place the address for this property on the blog. It wasn't marketed on the MLS, and the Daily Breeze story similarly avoided putting out the address. (A July 2025 news article in the Wall Street Journal did serve as marketing for the home, however.)

Your local blogger here was quoted in the Daily Breeze story, as the reporter sought out our insights on the area. Here are a couple quotes from the news piece:

[T]he Hill Section [is] “known for large lots, ocean views and, as in the case of this home, stellar new builds,” said Dave Fratello, a broker with Edge Real Estate Agency who also produces the MB Confidential blog.

“That area of the Hill Section’s values are so high, and the perception of the desirability is so strong, that virtually any house that’s 20 or 25 years old is bulldozer bait,” Fratello said. “What we’re talking about here is the higher part [of the hill], which lends itself to the best views in the city of the ocean down to Palos Verdes.”

Other Sports Notables in MB

There are certainly other sports stars and notables in town. 

You lose track of Kings players, too many to count here and in Hermosa.

Lakers players, coaches and execs have come and gone. There have been Dodgers and Dodger execs. 

MBC was first to report on Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff's purchase of adjoining Hill Section lots to create a mega home. (A project that is under way today.)

There are more, but the beauty of Manhattan Beach is that our small town really does offer the chance for even very public people to blend in, go about their business, and avoid the paparazzi or star-struck locals constantly hounding them.

As far back as 2008 here on the blog, we were taking note of news stories showing how reporters were smitten with calling Manhattan Beach a sports celebrity town. (Is it? Discuss.) 

Consider this 2008 LA Times piece that leads with then-City Council member Richard Montgomery running into Maria Sharapova at the Ralph's market. (He hit her up for a donation to MBEF.)

Some Other Lakers Who Called MB Home

We can mention a few more Lakers who are now out of town. 

Luke (not Luka) Walton recently sold his mega home in East MB.

Shaquille (Shaq) O'Neill once rented an 80s Spanish home in the Hill Section that ultimately became part of the Goff double-lot acquisition, down at 501 John. (They used this fact in marketing the property a few years ago.)

And Mike D'Antoni, who briefly coached the Lakers a decade ago, spent 2 years in a Sand Section home (116 25th), which he flipped in 2015 for a remarkable $2.6M gain ($6.900M -> $9.500M), perhaps the only profitable outcome of his time in Los Angeles. (They were a .300 team in his second year.)

Los Angeles is expecting much bigger things from Luka's time with the Lakers.

In Manhattan Beach, we're just glad to have a nice new neighbor. Let's keep it chill.