After becoming part owner of Red Sox, LeBron James says he will own NBA team “sooner than later”

LeBron James has shown for a while now that the competitive edge he plays with is not limited to the basketball court. On Tuesday, it was announced that the Los Angeles Lakers star was making history by becoming a part owner of the Boston Red Sox alongside his friend and longtime business partner Maverick Carter. The two became the first Black partners of the Fenway Sports Group.

James, whose other business ventures include entertainment companies and a stake in English soccer’s Liverpool FC, spoke to the media after the Lakers’ blowout win over the Timberwolves on Tuesday and made it clear he was not stopping there:

LeBron James just reiterated that he wants to own an NBA franchise after he retires: “That is my goal. My goal is to own an NBA franchise. It’ll be sooner than later.”

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) March 17, 2021

LeBron, after buying part of the Red Sox today, reiterates that he wants to buy an NBA team at some point.

"My goal is to own an NBA team. I've got so much to give to the game. I know talent, and I know how to run a business as well… It'll be sooner than later."

— Harrison Faigen (@hmfaigen) March 17, 2021

That sure sounds like a man who already has a set plan for this objective. There has been a lot of discussion about potential expansion teams in Seattle, Las Vegas, and elsewhere. It would not be surprising to see James lead the charge for one of those franchises once he finally retires from the game. Or perhaps, he will go back to Cleveland once again and become the owner of Cavaliers if Dan Gilbert ever chooses to sell the team (maybe the legal documents can be written in comic sans).

It takes a lot of money to become the majority owner of an NBA franchise, money that professional athletes seldom earn even with their lines of income outside of their salaries. But James is going to go down as one of the most financially successful North American athletes of all time and with his mind set on it, it would be a surprise to not see helm a franchise in the Association in the not-so-distant future.