LeBron James’ Plan To Be an NBA Team Owner Could Get $2.7 Billion Boost

(Photo : Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
LeBron James seems to be planning his life after basketball. One of his viable options is becoming an team owner in the NBA.

LeBron James, a legend of the NBA, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, has expressed interest in bringing an NBA team to a city that doesn't have one. The owners of the Liverpool soccer club, FSG, have expressed interest in helping him make this happen.

At age 37, LeBron James' career is winding down. He was not as explosive as before, though he still puts up impressive numbers. But at this point in his career, he is exploring the possibility of owning an NBA team.

FSG Open to Joining The NBA

His plan, as per a report from Liverpool.com, is to help the Liverpool owners FSG find a way out of their Anfield commitment by bringing professional basketball to the Nevada area. Although buying the Phoenix Suns would fill the need for an NBA club in Las Vegas, it is believed that James and FSG would prefer to build a new franchise from scratch, with a focus on Vegas.

Even though FSG owns ice hockey and baseball franchises, the corporation has yet to make any investments in the NBA. After holding Liverpool shares for almost a decade, James traded them in for a 1% investment in FSG early this year. LeBron James reportedly will team up with FSG, Nike, and RedBird to bring an NBA franchise to "Sin City" in the future.

For the first time since purchasing the Reds, FSG has also declared that they are open to proposals for majority ownership in Liverpool, but they are not in a hurry to leave and are instead waiting for the best offer to come along.

From 'King James' to 'LeGM'

Aside from figuring out how to help the LA Lakers' on-court troubles, star player LeBron James has been thinking about life after basketball as he turns 38 in December. He is not getting any younger and has only a few more months left in his playing career. So it is more likely that he is starting to make plans for his retirement from basketball. And according to reports, LeBron James is eager to own an NBA team.

According to Huddle Up, the average cost of an NBA franchise now is $2.6 billion. LeBron stated in June that he hopes to one day transition from "King James" to "LeGM" by owning an NBA franchise.

He would be interested in purchasing an expansion team in the Las Vegas area, which is around 270 miles east of Los Angeles. That is not impossible, though there are still a lot of things to accomplish, as well as money to raise.

Clutch Points reported that LeBron James gave fans a glimpse into how he might run a team during the first episode of "TNF in The Shop," which broadcast the Tennessee Titans Thursday night game against the Green Bay Packers and featured guests like Maverick Carter, Paul Rivera, Jamie Foxx, Jalen Ramsey, Rob Lowe, and Dez Bryant.

L3Br0n pic.twitter.com/IuqziNIODD
— Erick Savage (@ErickSavage13) November 18, 2022

"I don't wanna pick the players but I wanna be a part of the process," LeBron said, noting that he knows and follows a lot of the athletes. But it seems that he's going to be a demanding GM, as he noted: "I'm hiring you to do a job and giving you a timeline to do your job. If you do not do your job, you know, it's probably time."