When Michael Jordan became the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets in 2010, he sparked a dream in the hearts of many NBA superstars. From Magic Johnson’s minority stake in the Lakers to Grant Hill’s investment in the Atlanta Hawks, basketball legends have consistently shown interest in transitioning from hardwood heroes to boardroom executives. Yet, beneath this glittering facade of ownership ambitions lies a complex reality that has been revealed amidst Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James ownership rumors by no one but Carmelo Anthony.

In a revealing episode of his ‘7 pm in Brooklyn’ podcast, Carmelo Anthony pulled back the curtain on why many NBA legends actually shy away from team ownership despite having all means to pursue it. “I think there’s not enough of us in those boardrooms, making the decisions and basketball decisions and being able to sit at the table and not just write a check in, tell somebody else go run it. I think that needs to be a line from top to bottom. But overall, I do believe that there should be a lot more of us in those positions. I do think it’s a lot of times we don’t give our self credit enough to go put our own group together and go by the team,” said Anthony during the podcast.

Anthony’s candid revelation suggests that many legends prefer to maintain their distance from the complex web of ownership responsibilities. This wave of opinions from Melo comes at a time when many legends like LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal have shown interest in owning an NBA team. After NBA Commissioner Adam Silver hinted in 2020 that there is a possibility of NBA expansion, James has been eager to own a franchise in Las Vegas. However, to own the team of Vegas, James would need approximately a staggering amount of $7 billion.

On the other hand, Shaquille O’Neal was on the verge of becoming the owner of the Phoenix Suns but didn’t go for the team since he realised that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s name was present in the list of the bidders. However, recently, Shaq had given a hint in his ‘The Big Podcast’ that he wants to team up with LeBron James and entrepreneur Mark Cuban to own a team together. “I’d have to make it okay with my current partners, but, yeah, if my kids were like, ‘All right, we’re set. We don’t… want whatever.’ And it was Shaq. F**k Yeah. I would look at making a comeback,” said former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who gave his thumbs up on the offer.

However, the NBA is not expected to expand until the 2027-28 season. The cities that are at the top of entering the league during expansion are Seattle and Las Vegas. As the landscape of NBA ownership continues to evolve, Anthony’s perspective offers a sobering reminder that not all legends are cut out for or interested in the demands of team ownership.  However, during the podcast, Anthony also made another revelation.

Carmelo Anthony’s wish to own parts of multiple professional sports teams

Giving his opinion about the current scenario of NBA legends owning a team wasn’t the only thing that Melo said during the whole segment. Towards the end of their discussion on this particular matter, the former small forward touched a bit on his investment plans.

Rich Paul, who was the guest of the segment, had previously mentioned that investing in teams is better than owning them fully. “I would rather them be able to have access to the deal flow of the groups that are buying these teams and be able to invest alongside the governors and owners of these teams in addition to being able to own teams.” The former 10x All-Star gave a nod to Paul’s way of thinking and even stated his plan based on the same narrative, “Most people would say they want ownership. I don’t wanna own a whole team, I wanna get a group because I wanna own another team.”

Moreover, in June 2024, it was revealed that Anthony was going to become the future owner of expansion teams in Australia and New Zealand’s NBL. As the sports industry continues to evolve, more and more athletes are recognizing the potential for long-term financial gains through sports-related investments.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.