Leeds United has added another big name to its ownership group.
Clippers point guard Russell Westbrook confirmed that he is investing in the English football club, joining golf stars Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. The three athletes will invest in 49ers Enterprises, the San Francisco group that became a shareholder in Leeds in 2018.
In June, Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani sold his shares of the team to the 49ers Enterprises after owning the club since 2017.
“I was lucky enough to have conversations with some of the partners in this deal who already have ownership, the 49ers,” Westbrook said at the Variety Sportico Summit.
“So I was lucky enough to talk through that with friends, talking with my business partner as well about different things and having conversations, figuring out if this was the right deal and how we could make it different.”
.@Russwest44 mentioned on stage at our #VarietySporticoSummit that he is part of the investor group led by the @49ers that is taking over Leeds United pic.twitter.com/q0uYDRVRKj
— Sportico (@Sportico) July 13, 2023
Last year, Leeds finished in 19th place in the Premier League, which means the club will be relegated to England’s Championship next year. The club had been in the Championship from 2010 to ’20, before getting promoted and playing in the Premier League for the past three seasons.