LeBron James is making his move into professional sports ownership.
The Lakers star and business partner Maverick Carter are reportedly set to become a part-owner of the Boston Red Sox, according to the Boston Globe's Michael Silverman. James will also reportedly become part-owner of multiple Fenway Sports Group subsidiaries, including NESN, Roush Fenway Racing, and Fenway Sports Management.
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James, who had been a 2% shareholder in Liverpool F.C. since 2011, has repeatedly shown interest in becoming an owner of a professional sports franchise after his playing career. He and Carter are the first Black partners in Fenway Sports Group history.
His playing career is far from over and he's already getting involved in the ownership arena as one of the richest athletes in the world.
For Boston fans, this move likely came as a bit of a shock. James plays for the Lakers, has been Public Enemy No. 1 for Celtics fans for nearly 15 years, and is a noted Yankees fan. Couple that with the fact that the Red Sox traded Mookie Betts to the Dodgers in order to save money, and it'd be understandable if fans weren't exactly happy with their favorite baseball club.
James is coming off his NBA fourth championship, beating the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals to capture his fourth Finals MVP award. He also signed a lifetime contract with Nike in 2015 believed to be worth over $1 billion. Nike began producing MLB's in-game uniforms for the 2020 season and has been doing the same for the NBA since 2017.