Jayson Tatum has accomplished quite a bit in his basketball career. He’s won an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal, and has been a five-time all-star selection.
He is the only one in league history to ink a $300 million contract, which he did ahead of this season. Now he’s hoping to turn that bag of money into something else: a WNBA franchise.
Tatum, who is among the NBA’s biggest stars, is reportedly part of a buying group that is aiming to bring a women’s team to his hometown of St. Louis. The WNBA is hoping to expand to at least 16 teams by 2028 with St. Louis being among the target cities.
The group is putting together a $200 million bid to become the WNBA’s next franchise with Tatum investing if the league chooses to bring aboard the city.
If you’re wondering about the legality of an NBA player investing in another pro team, it is totally viable. The collective bargaining agreement allows players to invest up to 4% individually into ownership.
The move makes a lot of sense for Tatum, who isn’t the only athlete looking toward the WNBA. Kevin Durant, Lebron James, and Steph Curry also have expressed varying interest levels in investing in the league. This is all due to the WNBA’s recent rise, which has seen television viewership dramatically increase along with financial ramifications stemming from new TV deals.
All of this is exactly why a player of Tatum’s stature would have an interest in investing.
Similarly, this has recently happened in the NFL. While not an active player like Tatum would be, Tom Brady garnered headlines after being approved to become a part owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Sports have become a cash cow so why not invest in something that isn’t going anywhere?
The post One of the NBA’s Richest Players is Hoping to Own a WNBA Team appeared first on VICE.
The post One of the NBA’s Richest Players is Hoping to Own a WNBA Team appeared first on VICE.
