Grizzlies new owner breaks silence, still doesn’t say much

Over the past few months Robert Pera — the 34-year-old Silocone Valley entrepreneur trying to purchase the Memphis Grizzlies — has stayed quiet while the world has buzzed around him.

the 34-year-old billionaire hasn’t spoken much at all about his efforts to buy the Grizzles, something tat David Stern likely suggested. He also hasn’t spoken about the company he founded, Ubiquiti Networks Inc., seeing its stock price fall by more than half since the spring.

Finally he decided to explain what was going on to the San Jose Business Journal (via the Commercial Appeal), except he still really didn’t say anything interesting about the Grizzlies at all. (Quote via the Commercial Appeal.)

“When I was growing up, if I could do anything in the world, I wanted to be a professional athlete,” Pera, 34, said in the interview with reporter Diana Samuels. “For a long time my dream was always to be in a position to maybe be involved in an NBA team. I played as a kid, all growing up and in high school, and I’ve been a big fan of the NBA, so I have season tickets to the (Golden State) Warriors. I played fantasy league a couple years, and I play a few times a week.”

There you go. That’s your insight. (He’s a little more insightful on Ubiquiti, but just a little.)

Pera is currently going through the NBA’s background check procedure so the sale of the team is not official yet. It likely will be before the NBA season starts.

Perra is also still trying to help round up local ownership, reports the Commercial Appeal.

Pera is actively seeking local partners. He flew to Colorado last month to meet with AutoZone founder and current local partner J.R. “Pitt” Hyde. Pera has also been in Memphis recently. It’s unclear with whom he met, though sources confirmed he met with FedEx CEO Fred Smith and other FedEx leaders.