Michael Jordan set the bar for NBA players jumping to ownership when he purchased the Charlotte Hornets. Grant Hill (Hawks), Shaquille O’Neal (Kings), Dwyane Wade (Jazz) and Magic Johnson (Lakers) have had roles as minority NBA owners. LeBron James has made it clear he wants to be part of the ownership group if (more accurately, when) a Las Vegas NBA expansion franchise is announced.
Stephen Curry wants to join the club, he said on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street.”
“For me, that’s definitely on the table. I think I could do a pretty good job of helping sustain how great the NBA is right now and what it takes to run a championship organization…
“I know I have a lot more to accomplish on the court before I move into other roles in the league.”
Curry recently agreed to a $62.6 million one-year extension that locks him in with the Warriors for three more years, to age 39.
It’s easy to imagine Curry or LeBron in the role that Hill has in Atlanta and Magic had with the Lakers, not as the primary owner — they’re rich but not “buy an NBA team outright” rich — but as a minority owner and face of the franchise. For example, LeBron James is now a billionaire (according to Forbes), but the expansion fee for the new NBA teams is expected to approach $6 billion, which is just the buy-in and does not include all the expenses of setting up a team.
Before we witness Curry the owner we will get a handful more years of Curry the player, and that’s good for fans everywhere.