Billionaire LeBron James’ $6.5 Million Move Gets Closely Imitated by Angel Reese 13 Years Later as She Joins Elite Entrepreneurs Club

USA Today via Reuters

What do LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo have in common? Well, apart from being household NBA names, they also have stakes in various soccer clubs. And now WNBA rookie Angel Reese has added her name to this illustrious list. The number 7 Draft pick has started her pro career with Chicago Sky but she is also making inroads off court.

The rookie season for Angel Reese just keeps getting better and better. Her on-court brilliance resulted in her being ESPN’s top rookie of the opening week recently. Now, she celebrates another major accomplishment off the court. Following the footsteps of Lakers’ superstar LeBron James, Reese is now a proud co-owner of a professional soccer franchise as she now owns a part in the DC Power Football Club of Washington in the newly found USL Super League.

As reported by The Athletic, Reese released an official statement that highlights the various reasons behind the decision. She said, “I’ve always wanted to impact sports, not just women’s basketball. I’ve always said I wanted to have part ownership of something. Obviously, basketball is my main thing, but growing up in the DMV area, I’ve loved sports, always, so being able to be a part of the Power FC soccer (team) is going to be so cool.” 

In addition to this, the 2023 national champion clarified her inclination towards soccer. She further added, “I’m invested in soccer. A lot of my friends play soccer as well. I’m super excited for this partnership, and a lot of young black women don’t have these opportunities.” Reese has been announced as one of the founding owners of the DC Power FC.

 

A native of Randallstown, Md., Reese talked about talked about why she dived into this new venture. “I want to help grow women’s sports and elevate female athletes across the board. We’re taking over, and I’m honored to be able to support Power FC and invest in women’s soccer in the DMV community.” So far the club has not shared further details regarding Reese’s ownership stake in the club.

Angel Reese was announced as the first member of the ownership group. It will further include D.C. United, and various “community and business leaders” from the area as investors according to The Athletic. The DC Power Football Club is a part of the USL Super League which will commence its inaugural season in August this year. The league will comprise of 8 teams which is expected to expand with 8 more joining in 2025 or later.

Reese’s move comes thirteen years after NBA’s all-time leading scorer LeBron James decided to purchase a 2% ownership stake in UK soccer club Liverpool FC, becoming the only basketball athlete to participate in such a venture. His $6.5 million investment then made roughly a massive sum of $82 million three years ago. This happened as he moved his stake with Liverpool to a mere 1% investment in the Fenway Sports Group in 2021. Apart from James, other notable NBA names have also bought stakes in various soccer clubs.

In 2019, James Harden, who was then signed to Houston Rockets, brought a five percent stake in MLS club Houston Dynamo. He became the fifth member of the ownership group. The group led by Mexican businessman Gabriel Brener also includes Ben Guill, Jake Silverstein and former boxing world champion Oscar De La Hoya.

Following in his footsteps, two-time NBA Champion Kevin Durant was named as the minority owner of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) club NJ/NY Gotham FC in 2022. He joined an ownership group led by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and his wife, Tammy. The other minority owners are Kristin Bernert, Karen Bryant and Ed Nalbandian.

Then last year, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo also acquired a minority stake in MLS club Nashville SC, further continuing the tradition of NBA players investing in soccer clubs. His brothers Thanasis, Kostas and Alex were among five new faces in the ownership group which also includes Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg. Magic Johnson, who has stakes in multiple sports teams, is also a minority owner in MLS team Los Angeles Football Club. But the list doesn’t end here and is not limited to clubs in the US.

LA Clippers point guard Russell Westbrook invested in English soccer team Leeds United last year, joining a star-studded cast of owners in the 49ers Enterprises, a business outlet of the NFL side San Francisco 49ers. The group also includes golfers American golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. Then there is former NBA star Steve Nash, part owner of MLS franchise Vancouver Whitecaps since 2008, who acquired a controlling share in Spanish club Real Mallorca back in 2016, when they were in the second division.

But now it’s time for Angel Reese to show her business acumen. The recently drafted rookie doesn’t want to limit herself to DC Power and has higher ownership ambitions.

Angel Reese has her eyes set on an WNBA franchise

After revealing her association with DC Power, the three-time All-American forward also put forth her wish to own a WNBA franchise in the future. Reese expressed, “I know a lot more women are going to start owning more things. Hopefully, one day I can own my own team. That’s what I’m looking forward to. I want to own a WNBA team as well.” This might very well become a possibility for the W is said to be welcoming more teams in the coming days.

The 22-year-old valued at $1.8 million, through reportedly 26 NIL and recent deals like Reebok, and Beats by Dre, is sure set to grow in net worth. And clearly, Angel Reese is putting her money where her mouth is just like she shared the thought with her Instagram followers. With such huge steps to secure her future, she is definitely leaving a mark. It will be interesting to see what other ventures she steps into.

Until then, the Sky has many more games to win. Angel Reese being one of the trusted players for Teresa Weatherspoon has a lot on her plate. But she is handling the fame and the money just fine.