Athlete Owners: Jason Kidd and Other Sports Stars Who Own Teams

Jason Kidd is venturing into the world of sports team ownership.

On Thursday, English Premier League club Everton announced that the Dallas Mavericks head coach would join the club`s ownership group. This development follows Kidd`s affiliation with Roundhouse Capital Holdings, which is part of The Friedkin Group. The U.S.-based Friedkin Group completed its acquisition of Everton`s ownership stake in December.

The NBA Hall of Famer is one among many athletes, both current and retired, who have stepped into the realm of team ownership. Here is a look at some other notable athletes who are now team owners:

Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Jozy Altidore – Buffalo Bills

In December 2024, the Buffalo Bills revealed that Carter, McGrady, and Altidore were among ten limited partners added to the team`s ownership group. Both McGrady (New York Knicks) and Altidore (New York Red Bulls) played for New York-area teams. Carter also played for the Brooklyn Nets (then the New Jersey Nets) and was McGrady`s teammate on the Toronto Raptors, a team geographically closer to Buffalo than New York City teams.

Tom Brady – Las Vegas Aces, Las Vegas Raiders, Birmingham City

The reigning WNBA champions, the Las Vegas Aces, have enhanced their standing. Seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady acquired a minority stake in the team, whose majority owner is Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis.

“I have always been a huge fan of women’s sports, and I admire the work that the Aces’ players, staff, and the WNBA continue to do to grow the sport and empower future generations of athletes,” Brady stated. “To be able to contribute in any way to that mission as a member of the Aces organization is an incredible honor.”

Brady attended an Aces game in May 2022 and sent gifts to star player Kelsey Plum. Plum and other Aces players expressed excitement about Brady`s involvement with the team.

He also added the Las Vegas Raiders to his portfolio after NFL team owners approved his purchase of a minority stake on Tuesday. The deal was initially agreed upon in May 2023, but it took owners 17 months to grant approval due to concerns he was receiving too significant a discount from majority owner Mark Davis.

Brady also holds a minority stake in Birmingham City, a club competing in English soccer`s second division, the Championship.

Lewis Hamilton – Denver Broncos

The Broncos` ownership group welcomed racing royalty in August 2022. Formula One superstar Lewis Hamilton holds a stake with the Walton-Penner group, which acquired the team in June 2022.

Hamilton, 37 at the time, holds the Formula One record for most race victories and is a seven-time Formula One champion. The ownership group, which purchased the team for $4.65 billion, is led by Walmart heir Rob Walton and includes former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who also has a stake.

In April, Hamilton partnered with Serena Williams in a consortium led by former Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton in an unsuccessful bid to buy Premier League club Chelsea.

“He is a champion competitor who knows what it takes to lead a winning team,” Walton commented in a statement.

Marshawn Lynch – Seattle Kraken

Lynch spent 13 seasons in Seattle with the Seahawks, but his new sports venture in Washington state is on the ice. On April 18, he became part of the Seattle Kraken ownership team as a minority investor. The former NFL running back will also participate in the NHL`s `Hockey is for Everyone` initiative. Kraken owner Tod Leiweke mentioned Lynch expressed interest in shadowing him to learn about hockey CEO operations.

“This is something I never would have imagined,” Lynch told CNBC. “I always dreamed of playing on a professional team but owning one is something special. As I look back on some of my accomplishments… I`m [going to] continue to count my blessings.”

Grammy Award-winning artist and Seattle native Macklemore also joined the Kraken ownership alongside Lynch.

Wayne Gretzky, Steve Nash and Dustin Johnson – Las Vegas Desert Dogs

Wayne Gretzky, a fan of lacrosse? Yes, it`s true. While `The Great One` is renowned for his hockey career, he was also a dedicated lacrosse player in his youth.

“The national sport of Canada is box lacrosse,” Gretzky said. “I started playing lacrosse on a team at the age of six and played all the way until I was 16 years old. I have a great love for the game in the sense I really think that box lacrosse was such a crucial part of the success I ultimately had in ice hockey.”

Given his background, it`s less surprising that the hockey legend has joined forces with 2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson, NBA Hall of Famer Steve Nash, and Nets owner Joe Tsai. They form a prominent ownership group for the National Lacrosse League`s newest expansion team in Las Vegas, the Desert Dogs.

Dwyane Wade – Utah Jazz

Seeing Dwyane Wade support a team other than the Miami Heat might seem unusual. In April, the three-time NBA champion acquired an ownership stake in the Utah Jazz, joining majority owner Ryan Smith. Wade expressed a desire for an active role in the franchise and fulfilled that promise. He was frequently seen courtside, intervened during an unsettling fan incident in the postseason, and became a mentor to Jazz star Donovan Mitchell.

The former Miami Heat star also expanded his ownership interests closer to his roots. Wade, a Chicago native, joined the ownership group of the WNBA`s Chicago Sky.

“It’s a great opportunity to be a part of the league in its very early stages… Growth is going to happen, and so I want to be a part of the growth of this league,” Wade commented.

Kevin Durant – Philadelphia Union, NJ/NY Gotham FC

In June 2020, Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant purchased a 5% stake in MLS club Philadelphia Union, with an option to acquire another 5% later. Durant had previously discussed potentially buying a part of D.C. United the year before, but those talks did not advance.

Durant broadened his portfolio in May of this year by becoming a minority owner of the National Women`s Soccer League (NWSL) club NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Thirty Five Ventures (35V), a company co-founded by the two-time NBA champion and entrepreneur Rich Kleiman, made a significant investment to acquire a stake in the club, marking the company`s second investment in a professional soccer team.

Renee Montgomery – Atlanta Dream

Former Atlanta Dream guard Renee Montgomery made history in February as part of a three-member investor group approved to purchase the team. Montgomery is the first former player to become both an owner and executive of a WNBA franchise. The ownership change occurred after pressure on former Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler to sell her share of the Dream, following her opposition to the league`s racial justice initiatives, which angered WNBA players.

Patrick Mahomes – Kansas City Royals

Patrick Mahomes is familiar with winning. While the Kansas City Royals cannot quite claim the same, the quarterback`s winning approach might influence the franchise now that he is part of their ownership group. If there were any doubt about Mahomes` icon status in Kansas City (there wasn`t), this move solidified it. Becoming a baseball owner made sense for the Chiefs` QB1 for several reasons. Mahomes, who played college baseball, was a legitimate pro prospect, and his father, Pat Mahomes, played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball. He also needed a way to utilize that $503 million contract extension.

Venus and Serena Williams – Miami Dolphins, Angel City FC

Winning major titles and making history is what the Williams sisters are known for. In 2009, Venus and Serena became the first Black female minority owners in the NFL by purchasing a stake in the Miami Dolphins. Musicians Jimmy Buffett, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Fergie, and Marc Anthony also bought shares in the team, making the Dolphins` ownership group notably diverse. Last year, Serena Williams joined the star-studded Angel City FC ownership group, bringing an NWSL team to Los Angeles in 2022.

Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy – Angel City FC

When Angel City FC launched, it did so with significant fanfare. Before the Los Angeles-based NWSL club even had its name, it was known for unprecedented superstar backing. Among the 14 former USWNT players in the group are Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, and Julie Foudy. The article could also have listed Lauren Holiday, Shannon Boxx, Rachel Buehler, Amanda Cromwell, Joy Fawcett, Tisha Venturini Hoch, Angela Hucles, Shannon MacMillan, Saskia Webber, and sisters Lorrie Fair Allen and Ronnie Fair Sullins, but aimed to highlight a key selection. The group also includes numerous celebrities.

Michael Jordan – Charlotte Hornets

Speaking of owners whose success in ownership hasn`t quite mirrored their playing careers, the GOAT, Michael Jordan, must be mentioned. In 2010, Michael Jordan became the first former player to be a majority owner in the league when the NBA`s Board of Governors unanimously approved his $275 million bid to buy the then Charlotte Bobcats in his home state of North Carolina. After a decade of disappointing seasons, things appear promising for the now Hornets with Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball bringing much-needed energy to the organization. One can`t forget when his dad famously claimed he could beat MJ one-on-one.

Alex Rodriguez – Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Lynx

Perhaps most interesting about this acquisition is that Alex Rodriguez and his 50-50 business partner Marc Lore pursued acquiring the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx only after their initial plan to buy the New York Mets fell through. Also notable was Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards` apparent lack of recognition of the former MLB star, A-Rod. Regardless, the $1.5 billion deal was anticipated to close around July 1.

David Beckham – Inter Miami

David Beckham, an iconic soccer player and a developing figure as an owner. Beckham is deeply involved with the franchise. He is part of an ownership group initially called Miami Beckham United, now operating under the name Miami Freedom Park LLC. Beckham and Inter Miami have faced various controversies since the club`s establishment in 2018. However, these challenges could diminish if Lionel Messi decides to join MLS. Stranger things have certainly happened.

LeBron James – Liverpool

In 2011, LeBron James and his manager Maverick Carter became minority owners of Premier League club Liverpool. This occurred after Fenway Sports Group, which bought the team in 2010, became the sole marketer of James` global rights. The investment proved quite profitable for James; his initial stake, valued around $6.5 million, had reportedly grown to about $32 million by 2018. In 2019, Liverpool won the Premier League, securing their first top-flight league title in thirty years.

James Harden – Houston Dynamo, Houston Dash

James Harden may no longer play in Houston, but the former Rockets superstar`s influence remains in the city. `The Beard` acquired a 5% stake in the group controlling MLS` Houston Dynamo and NWSL`s Houston Dash in 2019. Boxer Oscar De La Hoya is also part of this ownership group. The Dash won their first NWSL title last year, suggesting Harden`s investment is paying off.

Russell Wilson and Ken Griffey Jr. – Seattle Sounders

What do Russell Wilson, Ken Griffey Jr., and Macklemore share? They are all members of the Seattle Sounders` ownership group. Wilson, along with his wife, musician Ciara, purchased a stake in the team in 2019, just before they won an MLS Cup title. Griffey Jr. and his family followed suit in November 2020.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Hammaraby

Almost everything Zlatan does provokes strong reactions, and his purchase of a stake in Swedish team Hammarby in 2019 was no exception. Fans of Malmo, another Swedish club where Zlatan began his professional career, reacted by vandalizing a statue of Zlatan outside their home stadium, including placing a toilet seat around one of its arms.

Magic Johnson – Los Angeles Dodgers

A true LA icon. In 2012, Lakers legend Magic Johnson was part of a group that bought the Los Angeles Dodgers from Frank McCourt for a record $2 billion. At the time, this price significantly exceeded previous records for a sports franchise. Magic was candid about his role in recruiting free agents, stating that while he couldn`t discuss hitting or pitching with players, he “can talk winning.” Judging by recent history (the Dodgers won the World Series in 2020), this approach has proven effective.