“A kid from Akron, who not only had the talent, but had the business acumen.… To become a billionaire” - Jay Williams says LeBron James owning a team is in the best business interests of the NBA
LeBron James is one of the most talented basketball players to ever play the game. Throughout his 19-year NBA career, the LA Lakers forward has won four NBA championships, among many other accolades.
What makes James so special is the fact that he is also amazing off the floor. The 18-time All-Star recently became a billionaire, which puts him in a very exclusive club.
Additionally, he may have revealed his future plans when it comes to the NBA. LeBron James wants to own an NBA team. More specifically, he would like to have an NBA team in Las Vegas.
LeBron James will most likely become a team owner
Many NBA analysts believe that LeBron James would be a great team owner. His business portfolio is impressive, so he would know how to handle the business side of things.
On the other hand, James loves basketball, and he's spent more than half of his life playing it professionally. He knows what it takes to win it all, but also how it feels to fail.
Jay Williams believes that the NBA should do everything in its power to make sure LeBron James owns a team someday. Williams said:
"It would be in the best business interest of the NBA to have that representation for your brand globally. A kid from Akron, who not only had the talent, but the business acumen with the team he associated himself with, to become a billionaire while still being an active player.
"That will then transition into an ownership, a majority ownership in the likes of Michael Jordan."
The former NBA player compared James to Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all time.
He thinks that having James as a team owner would send a powerful message to players. If they surround themselves with the right people and play well on the court, they could become team owners someday.
James would be a great owner
LeBron James truly loves basketball, and that is a big reason why he'd be a great owner. After all, he's a part of Fenway Sports Group, so he knows what it's like to own a sports team.
Stephen A. Smith doesn't think that having money alone is enough to own an NBA team, but that James could achieve it. He gave a lot of credit to the four-time NBA champion and his business associates, saying how he could achieve anything.
Smith stated:
"I put nothing past LeBron James and his team, particularly led by Maverick Carter.
"I put nothing past them and they can achieve anything. To be quite honest with you, what LeBron has meant to the game of basketball, I'll go so far to say I think the league would owe it to him, to facilitate him owning a basketball team.
"He's not just been a superstar on the court, he's been a superstar off the court."
At the moment, LeBron James is not allowed to own an NBA team. However, when he retires, he will be able to achieve this goal. This would be a great move for both him and the NBA, especially if the league expands to Las Vegas.