NBA Hall of Famer Jason Kidd, currently the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, is venturing into sports team ownership.
Following his affiliation with Roundhouse Capital Holdings, a division of The Friedkin Group which took control of Everton FC in December, the English Premier League club announced Thursday that Kidd would be joining their ownership collective. Kidd is just the latest addition to a notable roster of athletes, both current and retired, who have moved into the realm of team ownership. Below is a look at other prominent figures who now hold ownership stakes:
Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Jozy Altidore — Buffalo Bills
In December 2024, the Buffalo Bills revealed that Carter, McGrady, Altidore, and seven other individuals were being brought in as limited partners in the team`s ownership group. McGrady, a former New York Knicks player, and Altidore, who played for the New York Red Bulls, both have ties to the New York area. Carter, who was McGrady`s teammate on the Toronto Raptors (a team geographically closer to Buffalo than the New York teams) and also played for the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets, rounds out the athlete trio.
Tom Brady — Las Vegas Aces, Las Vegas Raiders, Birmingham City
The Las Vegas Aces, the reigning WNBA champions, have strengthened their credentials. Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady acquired a minority stake in the team whose majority owner is Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis.
“I have always been a huge fan of women`s sports, and I admire the work that the Aces` players, staff, and the WNBA continue to do to grow the sport and empower future generations of athletes,” Brady stated. “To be able to contribute in any way to that mission as a member of the Aces organization is an incredible honor.”
Brady attended an Aces game in May 2022 and sent gifts to star Kelsey Plum. Plum and other Aces players expressed excitement about Brady`s involvement.
He also added the Las Vegas Raiders to his portfolio after his purchase of a minority stake was approved by NFL team owners on Tuesday. The deal was initially agreed upon in May 2023, but it took owners 17 months to give their approval due to concerns he was receiving too significant a discount from majority owner Mark Davis.
Brady also holds a minority ownership position in Birmingham City, a club competing in English soccer`s second-tier Championship.
Lewis Hamilton — Denver Broncos
The Broncos` ownership group welcomed racing royalty in August 2022. Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton holds a stake with the Walton-Penner group, which acquired the team in June 2022.
Hamilton, 37 at the time, holds the Formula One record for most race wins and has secured the F1 title seven times. The ownership group, which purchased the team for $4.65 billion, is led by Walmart heir Rob Walton and includes former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is also an investor.
In April, Hamilton partnered with Serena Williams in a consortium led by former Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton in an unsuccessful attempt to buy Premier League club Chelsea.
“He is a champion competitor who knows what it takes to lead a winning team,” Walton commented in a statement.
Marshawn Lynch — Seattle Kraken
Lynch played 13 seasons in Seattle with the Seahawks, but his new sports venture in Washington state is in ice hockey. On April 18, he joined the Seattle Kraken ownership team as a minority investor. The former NFL running back will participate in the NHL`s `Hockey is for Everyone` initiative, and Kraken owner Tod Leiweke mentioned Lynch expressed interest in shadowing him to learn hockey CEO operations.
“This is something I never would have imagined,” Lynch told CNBC in a statement. “I always dreamed of playing on a professional team but owning one is something special. As I look back on some of my accomplishments…I`m going to continue to count my blessings.”
Grammy Award-winning artist and Seattle native Macklemore also became part of the Kraken ownership team alongside Lynch.
Wayne Gretzky, Steve Nash and Dustin Johnson — Las Vegas Desert Dogs
Wayne Gretzky involved in lacrosse? Indeed. `The Great One` may be renowned for his hockey career, but he was also a skilled lacrosse player in his youth.
“The national sport of Canada is box lacrosse,” Gretzky explained. “I started playing lacrosse on a team at the age of six and played all the way until I was 16 years old. I have a great love for the game in the sense I really think that box lacrosse was such a crucial part of the success I ultimately had in ice hockey.”
Given this background, it`s perhaps not entirely surprising that the hockey icon has joined forces with 2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson, NBA Hall of Famer and former Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash, and Nets owner Joe Tsai as part of a prominent ownership group for the National Lacrosse League`s newest expansion team in Las Vegas, the Desert Dogs.
Dwyane Wade — Utah Jazz
It`s certainly unusual to see Dwyane Wade supporting a team other than the Miami Heat. In April, the three-time NBA champion purchased an ownership stake in the Utah Jazz, joining majority owner Ryan Smith, and expressed a desire to be actively involved with the franchise. Wade followed through on his promise. He was frequently seen courtside, took action during an unfortunate fan incident in the postseason, and became a mentor to Jazz star Donovan Mitchell.
The former Heat star also expanded his investments with something geographically closer to home. Wade, a Chicago native, joined the ownership group of the WNBA`s Chicago Sky.
“It`s a great opportunity to be a part of the league in its very early stages. … Growth is going to happen, and so I want to be a part of the growth of this league,” Wade stated.
Kevin Durant — Philadelphia Union, NJ/NY Gotham FC
In June 2020, Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant acquired a 5% stake in MLS` Philadelphia Union, with an option to purchase an additional 5% later. Durant had previously discussed buying a portion of D.C. United the year prior, but stated the talks did not progress.
Durant broadened his sports business interests in May of this year, being named a minority owner of the National Women`s Soccer League (NWSL) club NJ/NY Gotham FC.
Thirty Five Ventures (35V), co-founded by the two-time NBA champion and entrepreneur Rich Kleiman, made a significant investment to acquire a stake in the club, marking the company`s second investment in a professional soccer team.
Renee Montgomery — Atlanta Dream
Former Atlanta Dream guard Renee Montgomery made history in February as part of a three-member investor group approved to purchase the team. Montgomery is the first former player to become both an owner and executive of a WNBA franchise. The change in ownership followed pressure on former Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler to sell her share after she drew criticism from WNBA players for her stance against the league`s racial justice initiatives.
Patrick Mahomes — Kansas City Royals
Patrick Mahomes is synonymous with winning. While the Kansas City Royals haven`t enjoyed similar recent success, the quarterback`s winning influence might benefit the franchise now that he`s part of their ownership group. If Mahomes` status as an icon in Kansas City was ever in doubt (it wasn`t), this move certainly solidified it. Becoming a baseball owner made sense on multiple levels for the Chiefs` QB1. Mahomes himself was a legitimate pro baseball prospect in college, and his father, Pat Mahomes, played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball. It also provided a meaningful way to invest his substantial $503 million contract extension.
Venus and Serena Williams — Miami Dolphins, Angel City FC
Winning major titles and making history is a hallmark of the Williams sisters. In 2009, Venus and Serena became the first Black female minority owners in the NFL by purchasing a share of the Miami Dolphins. Musicians Jimmy Buffett, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Fergie, and Marc Anthony also bought stakes in the team, making the Dolphins` ownership group remarkably diverse. More recently, Serena Williams joined the star-studded Angel City FC ownership group, which brought an NWSL team to Los Angeles in 2022.
Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy — Angel City FC
When Angel City FC was introduced, it arrived with significant fanfare. Before the Los Angeles-based NWSL club even had a name, its unprecedented backing was clear. Among the 14 former USWNT players in the ownership group are legends Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, and Julie Foudy. The group also includes numerous celebrities. (Note: The original text humorously lists more players but cuts off, stating there isn`t enough time to name them all).
Michael Jordan — Charlotte Hornets
Speaking of owners whose success hasn`t quite matched their playing careers, we must mention `The GOAT`. In 2010, Michael Jordan became the first former player to be a majority owner in the NBA when the league`s Board of Governors unanimously approved his $275 million bid to purchase the then-Charlotte Bobcats in his home state of North Carolina. After a decade of disappointing seasons, the now-Hornets appear to be improving, with Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball providing a much-needed spark. (A playful nod to LaVar Ball`s past comments is included).
Alex Rodriguez — Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Lynx
Whether the less-than-ideal aspect is that Alex Rodriguez and his 50-50 business partner Marc Lore pursued acquiring the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx only after their initial plan to buy the New York Mets fell through, or that Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was reportedly unaware of who the former MLB star `A-Rod` was, the approximately $1.5 billion deal was expected to finalize around July 1.
David Beckham — Inter Miami
David Beckham, an iconic soccer player and a work-in-progress as an owner. Beckham, who is deeply involved with the franchise, is part of an ownership group initially known as Miami Beckham United, now operating under the name Miami Freedom Park LLC. Beckham and Inter Miami have faced numerous controversies since the club`s establishment in 2018. However, the arrival of Lionel Messi could potentially resolve many of those issues. (Stranger things have certainly happened).
LeBron James — Liverpool
Back in 2011, LeBron James and his manager Maverick Carter became minority owners of Premier League club Liverpool after Fenway Sports Group, which bought the team in 2010, became the sole marketer of James` global rights. The investment has been quite profitable for James; his initial stake, valued at about $6.5 million, had grown to approximately $32 million by 2018. In 2019, Liverpool secured the Premier League title, their first top-flight league championship in thirty years.
James Harden — Houston Dynamo, Houston Dash
James Harden may no longer play for Houston, but the former Rockets superstar`s influence remains in the city. `The Beard` purchased a 5% stake in the group controlling MLS` Houston Dynamo and NWSL`s Houston Dash in 2019. Boxer Oscar De La Hoya is also part of this group. The Dash won their first NWSL title in 2020 (or recent past depending on original publish date), suggesting his investment may have been a good one.
Russell Wilson and Ken Griffey Jr. — Seattle Sounders
What do Russell Wilson, Ken Griffey Jr., and Macklemore share? They are all members of the Seattle Sounders` ownership group. Wilson, along with his wife, musician Ciara, acquired a stake in the team in 2019, just in time for them to win an MLS Cup title. Griffey Jr. and his family joined the group in November 2020.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic — Hammaraby
Nearly everything Zlatan does elicits strong reactions, and his purchase of a stake in Swedish team Hammaraby in 2019 was no exception. Fans of Malmo, another Swedish club where Zlatan began his professional journey, vandalized a statue of Zlatan outside their stadium, including placing a toilet seat around one of its arms, in protest.
Magic Johnson — Los Angeles Dodgers
A true LA icon. In 2012, Lakers legend Magic Johnson was part of a group that purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers from Frank McCourt for a then-record $2 billion. At the time, this price shattered previous records for a sports franchise acquisition. Johnson was candid about his role in recruiting free agents, stating that while he couldn`t discuss hitting or pitching specifics, he “can talk winning.” Recent history suggests this approach has been effective, as the Dodgers won the World Series in 2020.
Rupert Caldwell 
Tristan Blackwood