By Kurtis Ottey

With the NBA playoffs soon approaching, its important we talk about some of the current and former basketball greats who’ve taken their love of the beautiful game to another level, becoming owners of professional soccer teams. As of recent this trend has been on the up, indicating that the advisors of these high profile hoopers understand the return on investment will be substantial to say the least.

James Harden- Houston Dynamo

While spending 8 seasons with the Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Net Guard James Harden decided to diversify his investment portfolio by acquiring a 5 percent stake in an ownership group that has members the likes of former professional boxer Oscar De La Hoya. That purchase makes him a partial owner to not only the Major League Soccer (MLS) side Houston Dynamo, but also gifts him a piece of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team the Houston Dash and BBVA Stadium. It’s reported that Harden spent 15 million for his stake in this ownership group that valued at 475 million dollars.

Kevin Durant – Philadelphia Union

Just like his previously mentioned teammate Harden, Kevin Durant has also recently stepped into the world of soccer club ownership. Durant purchased a 5 percent stake in Keystone Sports & Entertainment for an amount the remains unclear, giving him a portion of the MLS’s Philadelphia Union. Although Durant has no ties to the city of Philadelphia, his acquisition of this team has potential to yield the biggest return on investment, as the Union have made nothing but positive strides since entering the league in 2008. Last season the Union finished first in the eastern conference but saw any early exit in the first round of the playoffs.

Steve Nash- Vancouver Whitecaps/RCD Mallorca

NBA Hall of Famer and current coach of the Brooklyn Nets, Steve Nash is deeply rooted into the game of soccer. Growing up in Canada Nash has shown us his love for the beautiful game on numerous occasions. Before leaving the NBA Nash became part owner of the Vancouver Whitecaps. The MLS team representing his hometown joined the league in 2009, bringing Nash into the fold in 2011. But Nash didn’t stop there, in 2016 Nash became a part owner of RCD Mallorca. When Steve Nash became part owner of the Spanish side the club was struggling to say the least. Since his involvement the road back to prominence for Mallorca has been bumpy but trending in the right direction. Mallorca saw itself back to the Spanish 1st division (La Liga) for the 2019-20 campaign but swiftly relegated back to the 2nd division this season.

Magic Johnson- LAFC

Not only one of the most notable Lakers of all time, expert businessman Magic Johnson holds a minority stake in one of the newest clubs in the MLS, Los Angeles Football Club. Magic has never shied away from a lucrative business opportunity, so the chance at an MLS team was a no brainer for the 5-time NBA Champion. With one of the largest ownership groups in the league including the likes of comedian/actor Will Ferrell, LAFC is valued amongst the highest in the MLS despite only having played 3 seasons. LAFC is poised to make their rivalry with the historical LA Galaxy one for primetime TV.

Lebron James- Liverpool

Of course, we have to mention LeBron James and his acquisition of Liverpool FC. In 2010 King James purchased 2 percent of Liverpool for approximately 6.5 million dollars. Since then, Liverpool has gone on to capture numerous trophies earning Lebron an incredible return on his investment. Liverpool sees itself competing every year for league titles and shows no signs of slowing down their run of elite play in Europe.

One thing we can deduct from all this is that the world of soccer is continuously growing with this diverse collection of ownership. Specifically for the MLS teams this could bring positive effects in creating a relatable culture/identity to clubs, in efforts to attract more casual fans to the game. You can be sure that more NBA players will be interested in becoming owners of soccer teams. My money would be placed on either Joel Embiid or Josh Hart getting in on the action next as they both show clear passion for the game of soccer.

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