Jayson Tatum wasn’t satisfied with just one championship, and the Celtics star could be looking at ventures outside of the NBA, too.
According to Sportico’s Jacob Feldman, Tatum informally agreed to invest in a potential WNBA team in St. Louis. If the billionaire-backed group wins the bid for the league’s 16th franchise, the Boston star would be the first active NBA player to own a WNBA franchise. This was made possible by the latest NBA collective bargaining agreement, ratified in April 2023, that allows players to own up to 4% of WNBA franchises.
The bid does not have a formal structure, but the prospective ownership group is being co-led by billionaires Richard Chaifetz and David Hoffman, per Sportico. Chaifetz’s past sports investments include ties to the Alpine F1 team, Major League Pickleball and the Drone Racing League. Hoffman is an entrepreneur and real estate developer who grew up in Missouri and owns the Florida Everblades, a St. Louis Blues minor league affiliate.
There will be three expansion teams added to the WNBA within the next two seasons. The Golden State Valkyries begin play next year, and the Toronto and Portland teams will play in 2026. There was speculation of a possible Boston team but nothing close to an investor group.
Tatum has been vocal about his support of his home city, and a St. Louis WNBA team would add to the baseball, hockey and soccer culture in the state. If he does become a minority owner, he’d join New England Patriots Hall of Famer Tom Brady, who is a minority owner of the Las Vegas Aces, as an athlete with Boston ties in executive positions in the WNBA.
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