MANILA, Philippines - Floyd Mayweather has conquered boxing. Could his next venture be owning an NBA team?
That’s what the retired 5-division boxing champion hopes to do one day, he told reporters at a pre-fight press conference to promote the Adrien Broner vs Ashley Theophane bout, which takes place on April 1.
Mayweather didn't specify which team he would want to get involved with, though the Las Vegas resident had previously expressed interest in buying out the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014.
“I’m looking forward to probably getting into ownership of an NBA team,” Mayweather was quoted by reporter David Greisman.
Mayweather, whose betting exploits account for a big part of what he shares on social media, admits he’d have to cut back on gambling first. During one 4-day stretch last year, Mayweather made half a million dollars betting on 3 basketball games and a boxing match involving middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin and Willie Monroe Jr.
{source}<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="6" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/2zWvwux3Zl/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">The last 4 days have been great. I'm getting paid while watching others entertain and perform. I don't do anything for free. I bet $350,000.00 and walked away with $827,272.73.</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Floyd Mayweather (@floydmayweather) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-05-18T00:02:20+00:00">May 17, 2015 at 5:02pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote>
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>{/source}
“You guys know I like to bet on sports, but I’m looking forward to stepping back from betting in sports right now.”
The average NBA franchise is worth $1.1 billion dollars, according to Forbes, and they can go for much higher (the Los Angeles Clippers sold for $2 billion in 2014), but cutting a sizeable check is just one hurdle Mayweather would have to clear.
His numerous run-ins with the law could complicate an attempt to get approval from other team owners, ESPN's Dan Rafael pointed out in 2014. In 2011 Mayweather served 60 days of a 90-day sentence for domestic violence.
(READ: Why you should care about Mayweather’s domestic violence history)
Mayweather is a frequent courtside staple in the NBA, and his 2015 mega-fight with Manny Pacquiao finally came to fruition after the two met while attending the same Miami Heat game. Mayweather participated in the 2008 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and counts Boston Celtics player Isaiah Thomas among his friends in the NBA. – Rappler.com