With Aces buy, Tom Brady is newest athlete to change into an proprietor

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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 workforce whose majority proprietor is Las Vegas Raiders proprietor Mark Davis.

“I’ve at all times been an enormous fan of girls’s sports activities, and I love the work that the Aces’ gamers, workers, and the WNBA proceed to do to develop the game and empower future generations of athletes,” Brady stated in an announcement. “To have the ability to contribute in any strategy to that mission as a member of the Aces group is an unbelievable honor.”

Brady attended an Aces sport in Could, 2022, and despatched items to star Kelsey Plum. Plum and different Aces gamers were excited to have Brady as a part of the workforce.

The record-breaking, future Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer, joins a formidable checklist of athletes who additionally personal elements of sports activities franchises.

The Broncos’ possession group added racing royalty in August, 2022. Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton has a stake with the Walton-Penner group, which bought the workforce in June, 2022.

Hamilton, 37, has the Components One file for many race wins and has gained the Components One title seven occasions. The possession group, which bought the workforce for $4.65 billion, is led by Walmart inheritor Rob Walton and consists of former United States 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 workforce,” Walton stated in an announcement.

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 workforce as a minority investor. The previous NFL operating again can be part of the NHL’s “Hockey is for Everybody” marketing campaign and Kraken proprietor Tod Leiweke stated Lynch expressed curiosity in shadowing him to study hockey CEO operations.

“That is one thing I by no means would have imagined,” Lynch stated to CNBC in a statement. “I at all times dreamed of taking part in on an expert workforce however proudly owning one is one thing particular. As I look again on a few of my accomplishments…I am [going to] proceed to rely my blessings.”

Grammy Award-winning artist and Seattle native Macklemore additionally joined the Kraken possession workforce with Lynch.

Wayne Gretzky, Steve Nash and Dustin Johnson — Las Vegas Desert Canine

Wayne Gretzky is an enormous lacrosse man? Yep, you learn that proper. The Nice One could have made his identify on the ice, however earlier than Gretzky was the satisfaction of the Edmonton Oilers he was a bona fide lax bro.

“The nationwide sport of Canada is field lacrosse,” Gretzky stated. “I began taking part in lacrosse on a workforce on the age of six and performed all the way in which till I used to be 16 years previous. I’ve a terrific love for the sport within the sense I actually assume that field lacrosse was such a vital a part of the success I in the end had in ice hockey.”

Due to this, it should not be utterly stunning 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 enlargement workforce in Las Vegas, the Desert Canine.

Dwyane Wade — Utah Jazz

I am not going to lie, seeing Dwyane Wade assist any workforce apart from the Miami Warmth is decidedly jarring. However I can not knock him for his enterprise savvy. In April, the three-time NBA champion purchased an ownership stake in the Utah Jazz, becoming a member of majority proprietor and workforce governor Ryan Smith, and expressed a need to take an lively position within the franchise. D. Wade made good on his promise. He may very well be seen courtside all through the season; he took action when an unsettling fan incident went down during the postseason, and he grew to become a mentor to Jazz star Donovan Mitchell.

Kevin Durant — Philadelphia Union, NJ/NY Gotham FC

In June 2020, Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant purchased a 5% stake in MLS’ Philadelphia Union, and he has an choice to buy a further 5% at a later date. Durant additionally had engaged in talks about buying a part of D.C. United the 12 months prior, however he stated the dialogue by no means progressed.

Durant expanded his portfolio in Could of this 12 months, after being named as a minority owner of the Nationwide Ladies’s Soccer League (NWSL) membership NJ/NY Gotham FC.

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 an expert soccer workforce.

Renee Montgomery — Atlanta Dream

Former Atlanta Dream guard Renee Montgomery made history in February as a part of a three-member investor group that was authorized to buy the workforce. Montgomery is the primary former participant to change into each an proprietor and government of a WNBA franchise. The possession change adopted stress on former Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler to promote her share of the Dream, after she angered WNBA gamers together with her opposition to the league’s racial justice initiatives.

Patrick Mahomes — Kansas Metropolis Royals

Patrick Mahomes is not any stranger to profitable. Whereas the Kansas Metropolis Royals cannot precisely say the identical, you may’t rule out that the quarterback’s profitable methods would possibly 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 absolutely 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 professional professional prospect, his father, Pat Mahomes, spent 11 seasons in Main League Baseball. He additionally needed to discover some strategy to put that $503 million contract extension to good use.

Venus and Serena Williams — Miami Dolphins, Angel Metropolis FC

Successful 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 purchasing a part of the Miami Dolphins. Musicians Jimmy Buffett, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Fergie and Marc Anthony also bought shares within the workforce — the Dolphins’ possession group is nothing if not eclectic. Then, final 12 months, Serena Williams grew to become part of the star-studded Angel City FC ownership group bringing a NWSL workforce 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 model. Earlier than we even knew the Los Angeles based mostly NWSL membership’s identify, we knew it had celebrity backing like no different. Among the many 14 former USWNT players who are 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 Honest Allen and Ronnie Honest Sullins, however I used to be actually making an attempt to remain true to my complete “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 became the first ex-player to be a majority owner in the league when the NBA’s Board of Governors unanimously authorized his $275 million bid to purchase the then Charlotte Bobcats in his house 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 stated he may beat MJ one-on-one … good occasions.

Alex Rodriguez — Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Lynx

I do not know what a part of this buy feels much less preferrred to me, that Alex Rodriguez and his 50-50 enterprise companion Marc Lore are solely pursuing acquiring the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx after their authentic 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 approach, 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 is incredibly hands on with the franchise — is part of an ownership group which was initially referred to as Miami Beckham United, however now operates beneath the identify Miami Freedom Park LLC. Beckham and Inter Miami have seemingly been riddled with controversy because the membership’s inception in 2018. However all these issues may very well be a factor of the previous if Lionel Messi decides to go 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 workforce in 2010, grew to become the only marketer of James’ international rights. The deal has turned out to be fairly profitable for James — his authentic stake within the membership, valued at about $6.5 million, had grown to about $32 million as of 2018. In 2019, Liverpool gained 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 celebrity’s presence remains to be felt within the metropolis. The Beard purchased 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 gained their first NWSL title final 12 months, 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, purchased a stake within the workforce 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 all the things Zlatan does makes individuals react intensely, and that remained true when he bought a part of Swedish team Hammaraby again in 2019. Followers of Malmo, one other Swedish workforce the place Zlatan began his skilled profession, reacted by vandalizing a statue of Zlatan exterior the workforce’s house stadium, putting a bathroom seat round certainly one of its arms.

Magic Johnson — Los Angeles Dodgers

Massive LA man. In 2012, Lakers nice Magic Johnson was part of a group that bought the Los Angeles Dodgers from Frank McCourt for a file $2 billion. On the time, the worth shattered the mark for a sports activities franchise. Magic saved it actual on the time of buy when explaining his position in recruiting free brokers, saying that whereas he cannot speak hitting or pitching with gamers, he “can speak profitable.” If current historical past is any indication (in case you blacked out all of 2020 — the Dodgers gained the World Collection), it labored.


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