As sports persons’ careers advance, they often move beyond just playing. And for two of the most recognizable faces from baseball and basketball, that is truer than for other athletes. With former MLB superstar Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez acquiring a minority stake in the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves, he now stands to go up directly against Michael Jordan and his ownership in the Charlotte Hornets. But who is better off right now with their investment?
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Both A-Rod and Michael Jordan are ultra-competitive and will be looking for ways for their teams to constantly do better. They both remain in contention as they are growing and their teams draw to the business end of the season.
With the NBA officially entering its post-season, it seems as if they are now on a path to direct competition. And with the two athletes at the helm, the odds are that both teams are going to get better in a jiffy.
Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez: Minority Stake in the Minnesota Timberwolves
A-Rod’s initial interest was in purchasing the New York Mets in 2021. However, after the New York franchise was acquired by Steve Cohen, A-Rod shifted his attention to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
?Acting?in tandem with e-commerce mogul Marc Lore, the two bought into the NBA with their purchase of a stake in the Minnesota NBA and WNBA franchises in July 2021.
The two franchises were reportedly on the market and were?bought?out by the group for $1.5 billion. Subsequently, the Timberwolves have seen a bump in their performance as they grow into themselves in the Western Conference.
In fact, as a direct comparison, the Timberwolves recently has clinched the 7th seed spot in the NBA’s Play-In tournament and will now be lining up against the Memphis Grizzlies in a bid to progress.
Read More:?Who is Alex Rodriguez, the New Part Owner of Minnesota Timberwolves?
Do you think they have a chance to make it big this season?
Michael Jordan: Majority Stake in the Charlotte Hornets
Michael Jordan arguably started much earlier than A-Rod, so perhaps this makes for a flawed comparison, but here we go. With the consensus GOAT?acquiring?a majority stake in 2010 of the erstwhile Charlotte Bobcats in 2010 from Bob Johnson for $180 million at the time, he has seen the team value grow manifold.
Moreover, he even carried out a?sale?of 20% of his holdings in 2019 to two New-York based investors. Gabe Plotkin, a founder of Melvin Capital, and Daniel Sundheim, a founder of DI Capital. Having completed the sale, the team stood at a $1.5 Billion valuation come the 2020 season.
They were only slated to grow from there. However, with no recent data available to pinpoint the valuation of the franchise, it remains up for discussion.
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Watch This Story: “Big Problem At The Moment” – Alex? ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez Asks For Help From Fans
In terms of team performance, though, things are clear. Despite being tipped by several as a talented squad, the Charlotte Hornets have failed to make it to the NBA Playoffs since 2001. And despite making the Play-In tournament in 2022, they were trounced by the Atlanta Hawks to see an exit from the competition.
A straight comparison?
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The two teams and ownership groups are operating on completely different tangents. The timelines for comparison are completely different for the two. A-Rod only purchased his stake in 2021, so while the value is there, the growth is unaddressed. Similarly, while Michael Jordan has been with the franchise for a decade, he has shown tremendous growth year on year, but without any league success, the sustainability of those standards remains suspect.
But what do you think? In this battle of the titans, who’re you backing to come out ahead?