USA TODAY International Edition
LeBron James to be part owner of Red Sox
The NBA superstar and his longtime business associate have become partners in the group that owns the Boston team.
NBA superstar LeBron James and his longtime business partner Maverick Carter will be part- owners of the Boston Red Sox, a person familiar with the details told USA TODAY Sports.
The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly until the deal is official.
James and Carter became partners in Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Red Sox, Liverpool FC of the English Premier League, Roush Fenway Racing, regional sports network NESN, Fenway Sports Management and FSG Real Estate.
The Red Sox portion of the deal is subject to Major League Baseball approval. John Henry is the principal owner and Thomas Werner the chairman of Fenway Sports Group.
Prior to this investment, James owned a small share of the English soccer team Liverpool FC.
James, who has worn a New York Yankees hat before, and Carter will be FSG’s first Black partners, The Boston Globe reported.
While James stars for the Los Angeles Lakers – he won his fourth NBA championship and fourth Finals MVP last season – he continues to expand his business and media relationships.
He has a lifetime deal with Nike that could exceed $ 1 billion and is prepping for the summer release of “Space Jam: A New Legacy” and his SpringHill Entertainment develops and produces other entertainment. He owns Blaze Pizza franchises and has partnerships with AT& T and recently reached an agreement with Pepsi.
According to Forbes, James is the world’s fifth- highest- paid athlete at nearly $ 95 million a year – $ 64 million of which comes from endorsement deals, the magazine said.
James has said it’s an aspiration to own an NBA team one day. League rules prohibit any NBA ownership while he’s still playing.
“I believe if I wanted to, I could own a team or be part of a basketball team,” James said at the 2019 All- Star Weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I know I got so much knowledge of the game that I don’t want to – once I stop playing – get away from the game.”
Michael Jordan is the owner of the Charlotte Hornets, and Magic Johnson once owned a small percentage of the Lakers.
“It would have to be the right fit,” James said two years ago. “It’d have to be the right city. It’d have to be the right situation. It’s not like it’s a dream of mine. It’s more of an aspiration. See if it happens. If it don’t, I won’t be disappointed in anything I’ve done off the floor. We’ll see what happens.”