(Bloomberg) -- Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry had two words when asked if he was interested in buying an NBA expansion team: “for sure.”
“I’ll be keeping an eye on that and how the expansion process works,” Curry said in an interview at Bloomberg Power Players New York, a sports business event held last week.
The NBA has talked about adding teams in the near future, with Las Vegas considered a top candidate. Curry is also interested in WNBA ownership. “I’m definitely curious on both sides.”
This wouldn’t be the first time the 36-year-old has shown interest in purchasing a sports franchise. He was part of an ownership group bidding to buy the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. The group, led by Fanatics founder Michael Rubin, eventually lost out to hedge fund billionaire David Tepper, who paid $2.27 billion for the club in 2018.
Curry has a net worth of $770 million, according to Sportico. The Warriors guard has made about $350 million from basketball contracts so far, according to data from Spotrac. If he plays three more seasons, his career earnings would top $530 million. Even with that kind of money, he’d still need co-investors due to the dramatic rise in sports team valuations.
Curry, alongside Marc Lasry’s Avenue Sports Fund, bought a franchise last year in the TGL golf league, which was founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
Like his longtime rival LeBron James, who has said he’s interested in buying a potential Las Vegas expansion team, Curry would have to retire in order to be part of an ownership group with a controlling interest.
The collecting bargaining agreement between the NBA and National Basketball Players Association prohibits players from playing and owning a team at the same time. An active player can own as much as 4% of an independent WNBA franchise, meaning it’s not controlled by an NBA club.
While James — a star for the Los Angeles Lakers — has teased retirement over the past couple seasons, Curry points toward playing longer and just signed a one-year contract extension for the 2026-27 NBA season.
“I have a lot more left in the tank,” Curry said last week at Bloomberg Power Players.
The NBA currently doesn’t have any former players who are owners after Michael Jordan sold his stake in the Charlotte Hornets for $3 billion last year.
Sign up for Bloomberg’s Business of Sports newsletter for the context you need on the collision of power, money and sports.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
