(Los Angeles) Billionaire Marc Lasry, who owns 25% of the capital of the Milwaukee Bucks, has reached an agreement to sell his stake to Jimmy and Dee Haslam, owners of the Cleveland Browns (NFL), various American media reported on Monday.
This transaction, which will have to be approved by the NBA, would value the franchise at $3.5 billion.
The price paid, based on participation, would be the second highest in the North American league, after that paid in early February by Mat Ishbia to Robert Sarver, to acquire 57% of the Phoenix Suns, an operation which valued the latter 4 billion dollars. .
PHOTO JOHN KUNTZ, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dee and Jimmy Haslam, owners of the Cleveland Browns
All American professional sports combined, this operation would be the third highest valuation, after that of the Denver Broncos, playing in the American football league (NFL), which reached 4.65 billion dollars in June 2022.
It was in 2014 that private equity firm Lasry, along with two other businessmen, Wes Edens and Jamie Dinan, bought the Bucks for $550 million, from former US senator and owner Herb Kohl . Each acquiring an equal share up to 25% of the club.
Since then the value of the Bucks has exploded, in the wake of the emergence of one of the biggest stars in the NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo, double MVP in 2019 and 2020. With the culmination of a championship title gleaned in 2021, the second in the franchise, 50 years after the first.
Milwaukee, which is on a 14-game winning streak, currently sits 2e place in the Eastern Conference and is among the favorites for the title.
The Haslams, who bought the Browns for just over $1 billion in 2012, have also owned the Columbus Crew MLS (soccer) franchise since 2019.
