Dwyane Wade, the three-time NBA champ, who will likely be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Corridor of Fame in August, already had a partial possession stake with the Utah Jazz. The previous Miami Warmth star added to his portfolio with one thing a bit nearer to residence. Wade, a Chicago native, is becoming a member of the possession group of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky.
“It is an ideal alternative to be part of the league in its very early phases. … Progress goes to occur, and so I need to be part of the expansion of this league,” Wade mentioned.
Listed below are different athletes who at the moment are group house owners:
Tom Brady — Las Vegas Aces
The Las Vegas Aces, the reigning WNBA champions, have added to their championship credentials. Seven-time Tremendous Bowl champion Tom Brady acquired a minority stake within the group whose majority proprietor is Las Vegas Raiders proprietor Mark Davis.
“I’ve all the time been an enormous fan of girls’s sports activities, and I love the work that the Aces’ gamers, employees, and the WNBA proceed to do to develop the game and empower future generations of athletes,” Brady mentioned in a press release. “To have the ability to contribute in any approach to that mission as a member of the Aces group is an unimaginable honor.”
Brady attended an Aces sport in Could 2022 and despatched presents to star Kelsey Plum. Plum and different Aces gamers had been excited to have Brady as a part of the group.
The record-breaking future Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer joins a formidable checklist of athletes who additionally personal components of sports activities franchises.
The Broncos’ possession group added racing royalty in August 2022. Method One driver Lewis Hamilton has a stake with the Walton-Penner group, which bought the group in June 2022.
Hamilton, 37, has the Method One report for many race wins and has received the Method One title seven instances. The possession group, which bought the group for $4.65 billion, is led by Walmart inheritor Rob Walton and contains former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who additionally has a stake.
In April, Hamilton joined with Serena Williams in a consortium led by former Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton in an try to purchase Premier League membership Chelsea.
“He’s a champion competitor who is aware of what it takes to guide a profitable group,” Walton mentioned in a press release.
🐎🔥 https://t.co/EbUdM8Hh2S
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) August 2, 2022
Marshawn Lynch — Seattle Kraken
Lynch spent 13 seasons in Seattle with the Seahawks, however his new sports activities enterprise within the state of Washington is on the ice. On April 18, he joined the Seattle Kraken possession group as a minority investor. The previous NFL working again will likely be part of the NHL’s “Hockey is for Everybody” marketing campaign and Kraken proprietor Tod Leiweke mentioned Lynch expressed curiosity in shadowing him to be taught hockey CEO operations.
“That is one thing I by no means would have imagined,” Lynch mentioned to CNBC in a press release. “I all the time dreamed of taking part in on knowledgeable group however proudly owning one is one thing particular. As I look again on a few of my accomplishments…I am [going to] proceed to depend my blessings.”
Grammy Award-winning artist and Seattle native Macklemore additionally joined the Kraken possession group with Lynch.
“We at the moment are including two hometown heroes who share our values and needs – to present again to this nice metropolis and proceed to make hockey a sport for everybody.”
Study extra in regards to the new #SeaKraken traders, Macklemore & Marshawn Lynch → https://t.co/BQFmY3PayO pic.twitter.com/vHZxddqSBO
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) April 18, 2022
Wayne Gretzky, Steve Nash and Dustin Johnson — Las Vegas Desert Canines
Wayne Gretzky is a giant lacrosse man? Yep, you learn that proper. The Nice One might have made his identify on the ice, however earlier than Gretzky was the delight of the Edmonton Oilers he was a bona fide lax bro.
“The nationwide sport of Canada is field lacrosse,” Gretzky mentioned. “I began taking part in lacrosse on a group on the age of six and performed all the way in which till I used to be 16 years previous. I’ve an ideal love for the sport within the sense I actually suppose that field lacrosse was such an important a part of the success I in the end had in ice hockey.”
Due to this, it should not be utterly shocking that the hockey legend is linking up with 2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson, NBA Corridor of Famer and present Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash and Nets proprietor Joe Tsai as a part of a star-studded possession group for the Nationwide Lacrosse League’s latest growth group in Las Vegas, the Desert Canines.
There’s nothing Wayne Gretzky cannot do…
(🎥 @lasvegaslax, @NLL) pic.twitter.com/7RKvXQ7WfN
— NHL (@NHL) June 21, 2021
Dwyane Wade — Utah Jazz
Seeing Dwyane Wade help any group aside from the Miami Warmth is decidedly jarring. In April, the three-time NBA champion bought an possession stake within the Utah Jazz, becoming a member of majority proprietor and group governor Ryan Smith, and expressed a want to take an energetic function within the franchise. D. Wade made good on his promise. He could possibly be seen courtside all through the season; he took motion when an unsettling fan incident went down through the postseason, and he grew to become a mentor to Jazz star Donovan Mitchell.
Kevin Durant — Philadelphia Union, NJ/NY Gotham FC
Durant expanded his portfolio in Could of this yr, after being named as a minority proprietor of the Nationwide Ladies’s Soccer League (NWSL) membership NJ/NY Gotham FC.
Fam 💙
— PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) Could 4, 2022
Thirty 5 Ventures (35V), an organization co-founded by the two-time NBA champion and entrepreneur Wealthy Kleiman, made a major funding to amass a stake within the membership, marking the corporate’s second funding in knowledgeable soccer group.
Renee Montgomery — Atlanta Dream
Patrick Mahomes — Kansas Metropolis Royals
Patrick Mahomes isn’t any stranger to profitable. Whereas the Kansas Metropolis Royals cannot precisely say the identical, you possibly can’t rule out that the quarterback’s profitable methods may rub off on the franchise now that he’s a part of their possession group. If Mahomes’ standing as an icon in Kansas Metropolis was in query (it wasn’t), this transfer certainly cemented it. Changing into a baseball proprietor made sense on a number of ranges for the Chiefs’ QB1. Not solely was Mahomes — who performed baseball in faculty — a reliable professional prospect, his father, Pat Mahomes, spent 11 seasons in Main League Baseball. He additionally needed to discover some approach to put that $503 million contract extension to good use.
Venus and Serena Williams — Miami Dolphins, Angel Metropolis FC
Profitable main titles and making historical past, that is what the Williams sisters do. In 2009, Venus and Serena grew to become the primary Black feminine minority house owners within the NFL by buying part of the Miami Dolphins. Musicians Jimmy Buffett, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Fergie and Marc Anthony additionally purchased shares within the group — the Dolphins’ possession group is nothing if not eclectic. Then, final yr, Serena Williams grew to become a part of the star-studded Angel Metropolis FC possession group bringing a NWSL group to Los Angeles in 2022.
Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy — Angel Metropolis FC
When Angel Metropolis FC arrived on the scene it did so in fashion. Earlier than we even knew the Los Angeles based mostly NWSL membership’s identify, we knew it had famous person backing like no different. Among the many 14 former USWNT gamers who’re a part of the group are Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy. I might have named Lauren Vacation, Shannon Boxx, Rachel Buehler, Amanda Cromwell, Pleasure Fawcett, Tisha Venturini Hoch, Angela Hucles, Shannon MacMillan, Saskia Webber and sisters Lorrie Truthful Allen and Ronnie Truthful Sullins, however I used to be actually attempting to remain true to my entire “I am solely going to call 20 athletes” factor from the intro. There are additionally a bunch of celebrities within the combine, however we do not have that type of time.
Michael Jordan — Charlotte Hornets
Whereas we’re as regards to house owners who have not had the kind of success we grew accustomed to of their taking part in days, I might be remiss if I did not point out the GOAT. In 2010, Michael Jordan grew to become the primary ex-player to be a majority proprietor within the league when the NBA’s Board of Governors unanimously authorized his $275 million bid to purchase the then Charlotte Bobcats in his residence state of North Carolina. After a decade of underwhelming years, issues look to be on the up for the now Hornets with Rookie of the Yr LaMelo Ball offering a long-awaited spark within the group. Always remember when his dad mentioned he might beat MJ one-on-one … good instances.
Alex Rodriguez — Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Lynx
I do not know what a part of this buy feels much less excellent to me, that Alex Rodriguez and his 50-50 enterprise companion Marc Lore are solely pursuing buying the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx after their unique plan to purchase the New York Mets failed or that Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards had no concept who former MLB star A-Rod was. Both method, the $1.5 billion deal is predicted to shut round July 1.
David Beckham — Inter Miami
David Beckham, iconic soccer participant and remains-to-be-seen proprietor. Beckham — who’s extremely arms on with the franchise — is a part of an possession group which was initially referred to as Miami Beckham United, however now operates underneath the identify Miami Freedom Park LLC. Beckham and Inter Miami have seemingly been riddled with controversy for the reason that membership’s inception in 2018. However all these issues could possibly be a factor of the previous if Lionel Messi decides to move to MLS. Hey, stranger issues have occurred.
LeBron James — Liverpool
Again in 2011, LeBron James and supervisor Maverick Carter grew to become minority house owners of Premier League membership Liverpool after Fenway Sports activities Group, which bought the group in 2010, grew to become the only real marketer of James’ world rights. The deal has turned out to be fairly profitable for James — his unique stake within the membership, valued at about $6.5 million, had grown to about $32 million as of 2018. In 2019, Liverpool received the Premier League for his or her first top-flight league title in thirty years.
James Harden — Houston Dynamo, Houston Sprint
James Harden won’t be in Houston anymore, however the former Rockets famous person’s presence remains to be felt within the metropolis. The Beard bought a 5% stake within the group that controls MLS’ Houston Dynamo and NWSL’s Houston Sprint in 2019. Boxer Oscar De La Hoya can be a part of the group. The Sprint received their first NWSL title final yr, so he is most likely feeling fairly good about that funding.
Russell Wilson and Ken Griffey Jr. — Seattle Sounders
What do Russell Wilson, Ken Griffey Jr. and Macklemore have in frequent? They’re all a part of the Seattle Sounders’ possession group. Wilson, alongside along with his spouse, musician Ciara, bought a stake within the group in 2019 — simply in time for them to win an MLS Cup title. Griffey Jr. and his household adopted go well with in November, 2020.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic — Hammaraby
Seemingly every thing Zlatan does makes individuals react intensely, and that remained true when he bought a part of Swedish group Hammaraby again in 2019. Followers of Malmo, one other Swedish group the place Zlatan began his skilled profession, reacted by vandalizing a statue of Zlatan exterior the group’s residence stadium, inserting a rest room seat round one in every of its arms.