NEW YORK – Golden State Warriors superstar guard Stephen Curry had just two words when asked if he was interested in buying a National Basketball Association (NBA) expansion team: “For sure.”
“I’ll be keeping an eye on that and how the expansion process works,” he 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,” the 36-year-old added.
This would not be the first time that Curry has shown interest in purchasing a sports franchise.
He was part of an ownership group bidding to buy the National Football League’s (NFL) Carolina Panthers. The group, led by Fanatics founder Michael Rubin, eventually lost out to hedge fund billionaire David Tepper, who paid US$2.27 billion (S$2.95 billion) for the club in 2018.
Curry has a net worth of US$770 million, according to Sportico.
The Warriors guard has made about US$350 million from basketball contracts so far, according to data from Spotrac. If he plays three more seasons, his career earnings would top US$530 million. Even with that kind of money, he would still need co-investors due to the dramatic rise in sports team valuations.
Curry, alongside Marc Lasry’s Avenue Sports Fund, bought a franchise in 2023 in the TGL golf league, which was founded by multiple Major champions Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
Like his longtime rival LeBron James, who has said he is 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, so that there would not be any conflict of 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 per cent of an independent WNBA franchise, meaning that the club are not controlled by an NBA club.
While James – a star forward for the Los Angeles Lakers – has teased retirement over the past couple seasons, Curry points towards playing longer and just signed a one-year contract extension for the 2026-27 NBA season, so it could be some time before he actually gets down to owning an NBA franchise.
“I have a lot more left in the tank,” the four-time NBA champion said last week at Bloomberg Power Players.
“I know I have a lot more left to accomplish on the court before you move into any other role in the league. But definitely want to be a part of the ownership landscape.”
The NBA currently does not have any former players who are owners after Michael Jordan sold his stake in the Charlotte Hornets for US$3 billion in 2023. BLOOMBERG
