An NBA player becoming a team owner is a rare occurrence. The people who own professional sports teams are billionaire tycoons who see their franchises as something of a toy to play with for fun. That doesn't mean they aren't dedicated, but there is definitely an element of this mindset: “I've got some money to throw around. Let's see how this works.”
But when players buy a team? It's an entirely different story.
When it does happen, it's certainly more fun to monitor. Just ask Michael Jordan.
So, who are a few NBA players who could eventually own a team one day?
Here are three of them (note: this only pertains to active players).
3. Jaylen Brown
This one may seem a bit out of left field, but just hear me out.
Jaylen Brown is unquestionably one of the most intelligent players in the NBA. He is very deep. He is conscious. He is outspoken. Heck, last February, he became the youngest vice president of the National Basketball Players Association in history at just 22 years old.
Does that mean that Brown has aspirations of owning an NBA franchise at some point? Not necessarily, but it's hard to think of many better candidates.
Brown was blossoming into a genuine All-Star-caliber wing before the coronavirus pandemic interrupted the 2019-20 campaign, so he has a bright future ahead of him as a player.
And who knows? Maybe one day, the Boston Celtics star will be calling shots rather than taking shots.
2. Chris Paul
It's difficult to find a more cerebral player than Chris Paul.
The current president of the NBPA, a big reason why Paul has regularly been one of the best players in the league since he was drafted in 2004 is because of his brain.
Paul has never been the most athletic guy, and as a 6-footer, he has certainly never been the biggest. But his smarts coupled with his wily attitude have made him a future Hall of Famer.
NBA point guards are generally a step ahead of everyone else when it comes to intelligence. After all, they are usually the orchestrators, the ones who direct traffic and tell their teammates when and where to go.
Yes, Paul's abrasive leadership style may have rubbed some of his teammates the wrong way, but that is typically the exact type of mindset you need to run an organization.
1. LeBron James
Not only is LeBron James a phenomenal businessman, but he himself has said that he dreams of owning an NBA team one day, so this was a pretty simple pick.
James has always been chasing the shadow of Jordan, so it would make sense for him to continue following in MJ's footsteps by one day taking charge of a team.
It's clear that LeBron already has an obvious grasp of management, as many have joked that he has been the de facto general manager just about everywhere he has been. Even Pat Riley listened to him in Miami.
Honestly, James owning a team seems like an inevitability. Given his business savvy and his overall IQ, I would be surprised if LeBron didn't buy an NBA franchise (he already has an ownership stake in Liverpool) at some point in the future.
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