Now that he's an NBA champion, Jayson Tatum wants to bring basketball to his hometown.
Per a Thursday morning report from Sportico, the Boston Celtics superstar has "informally" agreed to support a billionaire-backed ownership bid to bring a WNBA expansion team to St. Louis. The group is co-led by Richard Chaifetz and David Hoffman; Chaifetz has been involved in bids for NBA, MLB, and NFL teams previously, while Hoffman owns a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Blues.
"Tatum has informally agreed to invest in the team should it come to fruition and contribute behind the scenes to the group’s pitch, both to other potential big-name investors and the league itself, according to sources involved with the bid," wrote Jacob Feldman for Sportico.
Competition for the 16th WNBA expansion team, which is expected to be added by 2028, is fierce. Patrick Mahomes was recently linked to an effort to get Kansas City the expansion. There's never been more eyeballs on the W and it's no surprise there's widespread interest in landing a team.
Tatum just won his first NBA title with the Celtics and brought the Larry O'Brien trophy to St. Louis to throw out the first pitch at a Cardinals game. He loves the city and, having just signed the largest deal in NBA history worth $315 million, certainly has the capital to get involved in sports ownership. As noted by Sportico, he is permitted by the most recent CBA to have up to a 4% stake in a WNBA franchise.
Certainly a group to keep an eye on as the bids ramp up.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Celtics Superstar Jayson Tatum Involved in Bid for St. Louis WNBA Expansion Team .
