Black athletes are heavily represented on the field and court. But team ownership is another story. By the league offices’ own accounting, there are currently no Black majority owners in MLB, the NBA, the NHL, or the NFL. Most of the athletes on this list hold minority stakes, although teams rarely disclose the exact percentages.
As of late 2026, here is who holds what and how they got involved in professional sports ownership.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan bought a minority stake in the Charlotte Bobcats in 2006. He took majority control in 2010, becoming the first former player in NBA history to own a team and only the second Black majority owner the league had seen, after franchise founder Robert L. Johnson.
That sale ended Black majority ownership in the major American leagues.
Jordan remained in control through the team’s rebrand as the Charlotte Hornets. He sold his majority stake in 2023 at a $3 billion valuation but kept a minority position.
That sale ended Black majority ownership in the major American leagues.
Jordan also co-owns NASCAR team 23XI Racing with driver Denny Hamlin. The team has been competing since 2020, and Tyler Reddick won the 2026 Daytona 500.
Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson‘s first major sports ownership investment came in 1994, when he bought roughly 4.5% of the Los Angeles Lakers. He sold that stake in 2010.
His Dodgers investment came in 2012, when he reportedly paid $50 million for a 2.3% stake. He became involved with the Los Angeles Sparks and Los Angeles FC in 2014, then joined the ownership group that bought the Washington Commanders in 2023.
Johnson is not the majority owner of any of these teams. He said publicly in 2026 that his group still had not made money on its Sparks investment.
LeBron James
LeBron James has taken a different route into sports ownership. Rather than buying a franchise directly, he owns a stake in Fenway Sports Group.
His relationship with FSG began in 2011 and expanded in 2021. Through the company, he has interests connected to the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Penguins and NASCAR’s RFK Racing.
Active NBA players cannot own NBA teams, which makes the holding-company structure useful for James. He has said he wants to own an NBA team in Las Vegas if the league eventually expands there.
Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes has invested heavily in teams based around Kansas City.
He bought into the Kansas City Royals in June 2020 while playing quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. The following year, he became an investor in Sporting Kansas City. He later joined the ownership group of the Kansas City Current, alongside his wife Brittany and Angie and Chris Long.
He made these investments before turning 30.
His portfolio has since stretched beyond Kansas City, including an investment in Alpine Formula One.
He made these investments before turning 30.
Kevin Durant, James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo
Several NBA stars have also invested in teams outside basketball.
Kevin Durant bought a reported 5% stake in MLS club Philadelphia Union in 2020 and joined the ownership group of NJ/NY Gotham FC in 2022.
James Harden acquired a reported five-percent position in the group controlling the Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash in 2019.
Giannis Antetokounmpo joined the ownership group of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021. He is also a part-owner of Nashville SC.
Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward
Two Cleveland Browns players have invested in other professional teams in the city.
Myles Garrett bought a stake in the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Denzel Ward bought a minority stake in the Cleveland Guardians, with the investment announced on September 9, 2026.
Venus and Serena Williams
Venus and Serena Williams bought stakes in the Miami Dolphins in 2009. They were described as the first Black women to become minority owners of an NFL team.
Serena Williams later invested in Angel City FC.
Candace Parker
Candace Parker invested in Angel City FC in 2020. Her daughter Lailaa was also included in the investment group.
Parker currently plays for the Las Vegas Aces but does not own a stake in the team. Her confirmed ownership investment is in Angel City. She has said she hopes to eventually join a WNBA or NBA ownership group.
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton joined the Walton-Penner ownership group when it agreed to buy the Denver Broncos for $4.65 billion in 2022.
Hamilton became a limited partner in the group. His investment gave him an ownership position in an NFL team despite his career being in Formula One rather than American football.
Other Former Athletes
Dwyane Wade became an owner of the Utah Jazz in 2021. He has also been involved with Real Salt Lake and the Chicago Sky.
Grant Hill joined the Atlanta Hawks‘ ownership group in 2015.
Shaquille O’Neal owned a stake in the Sacramento Kings from 2013 until 2022. He reportedly sold the stake while pursuing a sports-betting deal that would not have been permitted under league ownership rules.
Stephon Castle, meanwhile, joined the ownership group of Connecticut United, an MLS Next Pro club led by Andre Swanston. MLS has described Swanston as one of only a few Black majority owners in U.S. professional sports history.
How Athletes Are Getting Into Ownership
For most athletes, ownership doesn’t mean taking control of an entire franchise. Minority stakes are the more common route, whether through a direct investment or a larger ownership group.
Some athletes buy minority stakes in individual teams, as Jordan, Durant and the Williams sisters did. Others invest through larger ownership groups. James’ investment in Fenway Sports Group is an example of this approach.
Women’s sports have also attracted athlete investors. The Kansas City Current, Angel City and Gotham FC have all attracted investments from prominent athletes.
Naomi Osaka’s reported NWSL stake and reports connecting Grant Hill and Chris Webber to a Detroit WNBA expansion group were left out because the available reports were not sufficiently corroborated.
Black athletes still make up a much larger share of professional sports rosters than they do of team ownership groups. But the number of athletes buying minority stakes has grown, giving more players a direct financial interest in the teams and leagues where they built their careers.
Common Questions about Black Athletes who Own Sports Teams
Who was the first Black athlete to own a pro sports team?
Michael Jordan, as majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats in 2010 — the first former player to hold majority control of an NBA franchise and the league’s second Black majority owner overall, after founder Robert L. Johnson. Earlier minority investments by athletes existed, but Jordan’s was the first controlling ownership by a Black former player in a major American league.
Does Michael Jordan still own the Hornets?
Partially. He sold majority control in 2023 at a $3 billion valuation and retained a minority stake. With that sale, Black majority ownership ended across the major U.S. leagues.
Can active players own sports teams?
In their own league, usually not — active NBA players can’t hold NBA stakes, which is why LeBron’s portfolio runs through Fenway Sports Group and contains no NBA team. Cross-league is a different story: Mahomes, Giannis, Myles Garrett, and Denzel Ward all bought in while active, with league approvals handled case by case.
Does LeBron James own Liverpool FC?
A small indirect piece. His stake is in Fenway Sports Group, which owns Liverpool, the Red Sox, the Penguins, and RFK Racing — so his ownership is real but diluted across everything the company holds.
Do any Black athletes hold majority ownership right now?
Not in MLB, the NBA, the NHL, or the NFL, per the league offices’ own count. Jordan co-owns NASCAR’s 23XI Racing with Denny Hamlin, and MLS Next Pro’s Connecticut United is led by Black majority owner Andre Swanston — whom the league describes as one of only a few Black majority owners in U.S. pro sports history.
Why are so many athletes buying women’s teams?
Valuations. NWSL and WNBA clubs have appreciated faster from a lower base than any men’s league, and the early buyers — the Williams sisters, Mahomes with the Current, Durant with Gotham FC, Parker with Angel City — got in at prices that are already disappearing.
Did Shaquille O’Neal own the Sacramento Kings?
Yes, a minority stake from 2013 until 2022, when he reportedly sold it to pursue a sports-betting partnership that league ownership rules wouldn’t have permitted him to keep.
