Washington (AFP) - Red McCombs, a former owner of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and NBA's San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets, has died at age 95, his family announced on Monday.
"We mourn the loss of a Texas icon," the family statement said in part.
The billionaire businessman began his sports empire by buying the Dallas Chaparrals of the American Basketball Association and moving them to San Antonio in 1973, where they were renamed the Spurs.
The Spurs joined the NBA in a 1976 merger of the leagues and have gone on to win five NBA crowns.
McCombs sold his stake in the Spurs in 1982 to buy the Nuggets, then sold them in 1985 and repurchased the Spurs before selling them again in 1993.
In 1998, McCombs purchased the NFL Vikings from $246 million and owned them until 2005 when, frustrated at not being able to build a new stadium, sold the Vikings for $600 million to current owner Zygi Wilf.
"The Minnesota Vikings are saddened by the passing of former team owner Red McCombs," the NFL club said in a statement.
"Red embodied his famous 'Purple Pride' phrase and remained a staunch Vikings fan after passing the torch to the Wilf family in 2005."
McCombs was also an investor in a Kentucky thoroughbred horse farm and the Circuit of the Americas auto racing course near Austin, Texas.
