Interest in buying the Los Angeles Clippers is heating up with potential buyers Oprah, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Rick Ross, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. stepping up to purchase the basketball franchise. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver fined Clippers owner Donald Sterling after news broke of his racist rant and urged the NBA Board of Governors “to exercise its authority to force a sale of the team” in a press conference yesterday.
Diddy expressed his interest in buying the team with the hashtag #DiddyBuyTheClippers:
I will always be a Knicks fan, but I am a business man. #DiddyBuyTheClippers #NameYourPrice
— Diddy (@iamdiddy) April 29, 2014
Diddy has steadily expanded his empire beyond the music world with his latest ventures, including Revolt TV and DeLeon Tequila. Oh yeah, and his rap career.
Rick Ross, who just announced his 25th Wingstop franchise, could make a contribution to purchase the team. After putting down $6 million to purchase Evander Holyfield‘s former Atlanta mansion.
I’d be interested investing in @LAclippers !!!! Make It #WingstopArena @WingstopCEO Lets Goooo !!!
— Mastermind (@rickyrozay) April 29, 2014
Mayweather expressed interest in putting together a group of billionaires that would assist him in buying the team, if it is put up for sale. “I’m very, very interested in buying the Clippers,” said the champion boxer. In his proposed pitch, Mayweather would be majority owner of the team. He may not have the money now, but with a $40 million scheduled fight against Marcos Maidana and a half million dollar Victoria’s Secret campaign forthcoming, he could contribute a handsome sum.
Oprah threw her name in the ring with the announcement she would join David Geffen and Larry Ellison in making a bid for the team. Geffen, a film and music mogul valued at $6.2 billion, originally tried to purchase a stake in the team in 2010. Ellison is the CEO of Oracle, a business software and technology company.
JAY Z could be interested in purchasing the franchise. Last year, the mogul sold his stake of the Brooklyn Nets for an estimated $500,000, the second highest price in the NBA. But he’d have to figure something out regarding Roc Nation Sports, the sports management branch of his multimillion dollar entertainment empire, represents Kevin Durant, Skylar Diggins, and Victor Cruz.