Magic Johnson put his hands together as if to pray and flashed his signature charismatic smile. Appearing on NBC’s “Today,” the NBA legend opened up for the first time Tuesday about being part of a group that bid for the Washington Commanders — and how much he wants to buy the team.
Johnson is part of an ownership group led by billionaire Josh Harris. The group has submitted a formal bid worth $6 billion to buy the Commanders from owner Dan Snyder.
“I got a ring in every sport, but I need a Super Bowl ring,” said Johnson, who is also a minority owner in MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks and MLS’ Los Angeles F.C. “And I would love to be the owner of the Commanders to not only do great work on the field, but [to do] the work we could do with the city.
“I think if they bless us — Mr. Snyder blesses us — the opportunity to be an owner, it would be an emotional day for me. My father just died, so it would be a great moment for the Johnson family as well as Josh Harris, who is the lead partner in this, to take that franchise and take it to the next level.”
Washington’s NFL franchise has not won a Super Bowl since the 1991 season.
Johnson said he is excited about the bid and noted he would be another Black owner for the NFL. Commissioner Roger Goodell has spoken openly about the league’s desire to see more diversity in the ownership ranks.
Michael Jordan is the only Black majority owner of a professional sports team (the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets) across the NBA, NHL, MLB and NFL, though reports have indicated recently that Jordan is looking to sell his stake in the franchise.
The NFL has two minorities — Buffalo’s Kim Pegula (who is Asian) and Jacksonville’s Shad Khan (who is Pakistani) — who have a controlling ownership stake in teams. The league also conducted an owner diversity report that found 8% of principal owners and limited partners were people of color, according to Front Office Sports. The Denver Broncos have Black minority owners in F1’s Lewis Hamilton, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Starbucks CEO Mellody Hobson.
Harris, who is White, has long been rumored to be interested in the Commanders. His candidacy to purchase the team appeared to strengthen last month when reports emerged that he added Maryland-based billionaire Mitchell Rales and Johnson to his group.
Harris is the managing owner of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and he also owns minority shares in the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers and the English Premier League’s Crystal Palace F.C.
The Commanders have been on the market since at least November and Snyder has received at least two formal offers for the team. Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos has also reportedly submitted a $6 billion bid.
Johnson appeared on NBC’s “Today” — the show that unveiled the Commanders rebrand in February 2022 — to talk about the NCAA tournament and raise awareness to prevent the spread of the respiratory syncytial virus, better known as RSV.
But he was also asked about his interest in the Commanders.
“Yes, our bid is in, we hope that we win,” Johnson said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen. … So, we’ll see what happens with Mr. Snyder making that decision. But we’re excited about it.”
