NBA – While the league recently relaxed its share buyback rules, Abu Dhabi and Doha are said to be interested.
While Mat Ishbia has just taken over the Suns for several billion dollars, the representatives of the Mubadala group, belonging to the government of Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), and the “Qatar Investment Authority”, whose sports branch owns PSG, would be actively looking for a partner.
The information comes out weeks after the league said it allowed pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and endowments to invest in its clubs. However, with precautions: a franchise cannot sell more than 30% of its capital to these rich investment structures, and a fund cannot own more than 20% of a team, so as not to take control. effective.
A target mentioned by Bloomberg is none other than the second largest market in the league: New York and its Knicks. The American media recalls that the franchise belongs to Madison Square Garden Sports Corp., controlled by the Dolan family. And that the largest shareholder of MSGS is the investment company Silver Lake Management, which has close ties with Abu Dhabi and is a co-investor in the English football club.
Manchester City.
While James Dolan reiterated in late January that the Knicks weren’t for sale, MSGS Chairman David Hopkinson even more recently said the company was willing to sell a minority stake.
Such transactions between these funds and the Big League would certainly cause ink to flow as Qatar, host of the last football World Cup, has been widely criticized by international organizations for human rights violations. ‘male.
These kinds of considerations do not seem to cool the NBA, which signed a multi-year contract with the United Arab Emirates at the end of 2021, where ” serious human rights violations are observed. The Mavericks, in preseason, and “Team USA”, for its preparation for the World Cup, are still expected there this year.
