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NBA players are global icons. Not only do they exert influence on their own game, but also across other sports by virtue of being owners and stakeholders in other franchises.
Be it football, baseball or an NBA team itself, NBA players are never too far away from sport. So here’s a quick run-through of some current and former NBA players who own a stake in some of the sports franchises in the world.
#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokoumpo is on a roll. Not only did he win the Finals MVP while delivering the Milwaukee Bucks their first NBA Championship in 50 years, but the Greek Freak has now also joined the ownership group of the Milwaukee Brewers, the American professional baseball team based in Wisconsin.
Antetokounmpo became the first new individual investor in the Brewers’ ownership group since 2005. Antetokounmpo took to Instagram a few days ago to announce his association with the Brewers, saying, “Now I just have to work on my swing!”
#2 Magic Johnson
The former Los Angeles Lakers star and five-time NBA champion, Earvin Magic Johnson, needs no introduction. Johnson is one of the big reasons why the NBA experienced a massive growth spurt in its fan following in the 1980s and early 1990s. He was a member of the fabled Dream Team, the nickname given to the 1992 US Men’s Olympic basketball team, and the main driving force behind the ‘Showtime Lakers’ right through the ’80s.
Johnson had hoped to recreate that same magic by becoming a part of the group that bought the baseball team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in 2012. With the Dodgers winning the World Series in 2020, Johnson added another feather to his championship-studded cap.
#3 LeBron James
Liverpool football fans will be happy to learn that LeBron James owns two percent of the English football club. More recently, James also joined Fenway Sports Group (FSG) as a partner, which gave him part-ownership of the Boston Red Sox.
Through this association, James now has a footprint in the game of basketball by virtue of playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, the game of soccer and baseball. What an amazing haul for The King!
#4 Michael Jordan
MJ headlines a list of former NBA players who own NBA teams. While Jordan is the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, the franchise that he bought in 2010, a number of other NBA players own a stake in other franchises. Former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade bought a stake in the Utah Jazz earlier this year while Grant Hill has ownership rights in the Atlanta Hawks.
Shaquille O’Neal, too, would have been one of the names listed here, except that it has recently been reported that O’Neal would be selling his minority stake in the Sacramento Kings. What one needs to remember, though, is that O’Neal purchased a one percent stake with the Kings in 2013.
But to return to Jordan, he bought the team for $180 million. That figure has now burgeoned to $1.5 billion according to Forbes. That still puts the Hornets as among the lower-valued NBA franchises but rounds off a solid investment for His Airness.
#5 Kevin Durant
While the NBA was in the midst of the COVID-19 enforced lockout last season, one NBA player was busy growing his sporting footprint. In June 2020, two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant purchased a 5% stake in Major League Soccer (MLS) team Philadelphia Union.
Durant made the purchase into the Philadelphia Union’s ownership structure through his firm Thirty Five Ventures, which he runs with sports executive Rich Kleiman. Durant reportedly has the option of purchasing another five percent at a later date.
#6 James Harden
James Harden is a former NBA MVP and also one of the best scorers in the game. In 2019, Harden added another impressive accolade to his list of career accomplishments when he added a 5% stake in the group that controls MLS’ Houston Dynamo and National Women’s Soccer League's Houston Dash.
What remains to be seen is whether Harden will become a champion either through his NBA team, the Brooklyn Nets or through his two soccer teams.
Guess the Lakers players!
