Magic Johnson joins bid to buy Washington Commanders
WASHINGTON — Magic Johnson has joined Josh Harris' bid to buy the NFL's Washington Commanders, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because details of the bid are not being publicized.
Johnson, a basketball Hall of Famer who has become a prominent executive, is already involved in sports ownership with stakes in Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers, Major League Soccer's Los Angeles F.C. and the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks. He was also part of Harris' unsuccessful bid to buy the Denver Broncos, who were instead sold to a group led by Walmart heir Rob Walton for a record $4.65 billion.
The Commanders are expected to sell for more, which would be the highest price paid for a North American pro sports franchise. Forbes estimates the team is worth $5.6 billion.
In other NFL news, the Las Vegas Raiders signed unrestricted free agent tight end O.J. Howard and former 49ers defensive end Jordan Willis . ... The Texans reached one-year deals with tight end Dalton Schultz and Devin Singletary . ... Quarterback Joshua Dobbs agreed on a one-year deal to return to the Browns . ... The Lions reached an $8 million-deal with safety
C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
ELSEWHERE St. John’s pulls Pitino back to the Big East
St. John's hired Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino on Monday to boost a storied program that's been mired in mediocrity for much of this century. The school announced that Pitino will be introduced during a news conference Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.
Following a successful run at nearby mid-major Iona, the 70year-old Pitino replaces Mike Anderson, who was fired after four seasons with the Red Storm without making the NCAA Tournament.
Also in the Big East, Georgetown hired Ed Cooley away from rival Providence to replace Patrick Ewing as its head coach.
Courts: Wyoming became the 19th state to ban transgender athletes from playing on girls or women's sports teams after the Republican governor opted not to veto the legislation, though he wouldn't sign the bill.
Gov. Mark Gordon allowed the bill to become law despite calling it “overly draconian, is discriminatory without attention to individual circumstances or mitigating factors, and pays little attention to fundamental principles of equality.”
NHL: Drake Batherson's power-play goal from in front with 2:09 left in regulation lifted the Senators to a 2-1 win over the reeling Penguins in Pittsburgh. ... Aleksander Barkov set the Florida franchise record for most career points with 614 as the Panthers beat the Red Wings in Detroit.
Tennis: Carlos Alcaraz returned to No. 1 in the ATP rankings on Monday, replacing Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in 18 years.
College football: Alabama defensive back Tony Mitchell was suspended from the team following his arrest last week on a drug charge . ... Nebraska opened spring practice with running back Anthony Grant suspended indefinitely to work on academics and other issues.