Curry group out

If we see Stephen Curry in the owner’s box at Carolina Panthers games, it will likely be as a guest. A would-be ownership group linked to the NBA star has reportedly dropped out of the bidding for the team, as the price has reached an unprecedented $2.5 billion.

According to a Bloomberg report Tuesday, that’s too much for Michael Rubin, an e-commerce billionaire who had filed a formal notice this month to the NFL and to the bank handling the sale of the Panthers on behalf of current owner and team founder Jerry Richardson. Seeking to diversify his consortium, Rubin had reportedly drawn the interest of Curry, a Charlotte native and passionate fan of the Panthers, as well as rapper/entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs.

At least three bidders remain for the Panthers, according to multiple reports, pushing a price that could set a record for the sale of a U.S. professional sports team. The NBA’s Houston Rockets established a new mark last year when they were sold for $2.2 billion, while the highest figure thus far for an NFL team was the $1.4 billion fetched in 2014 by the Buffalo Bills, the most recent NFL franchise that went for sale.

Forbes valued the Panthers at $2.3 billion last year, placing them 21st out of 32 NFL teams on its list of franchise valuations. The Dallas Cowboys, at $4.8 billion, topped Forbes’ list, while the New Orleans Saints, who might be the next to go on the market, following the death last week of longtime owner Tom Benson, were in 27th place at $2 billion.