Retired boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. is making noise once again as he plans to buy an NBA team. Which franchises should be in his target?
Other than his unquestionable brilliance as a boxer, Floyd Mayweather is known for his unquenchable thirst for all things extravagant. Now, several years after his retirement, the 5-division champ is perhaps looking to outdo himself by shopping for an NBA team "outright." In an event, he said that he's already offered $2B to an undisclosed franchise.
From what Floyd has said, it looks like a lot is still up in the air. He said he could own a new expansion team (hello Las Vegas and Seattle) or he could buy an existing franchise. But adding a new team involves a lot of work for the whole league. So, let's keep things simple for the Money Team and include only existing franchises in this shopping list.
Detroit Pistons, valued at $1.74B going into the 2022-23 season
Since Floyd is a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan and Detroit is also located in the state of Michigan, the bond between Mayweather and the Pistons automatically exists. Another thing they have in common is the villain persona. Floyd used it to promote his fights, while Detroit’s glory days in the NBA came when they were called the Bad Boys during the late 80s.
With a history and a familiarity like that, the Pistons and the Michigan boxing legend seems like a perfect match.
Portland Trail Blazers, valued at $2.07B going into the 2022-23 season
Money-May and Dame D.O.L.L.A. sounds like a dangerous duo. If Floyd gets to own the Blazers, he’s going to have a franchise player that’s a true student of the sweet science. Yep, Dame Lillard is a boxing head, he’s a practitioner and he’s got in-depth knowledge of the sport’s history as well. Now, what does this have to do with Floyd owning an NBA team? Well, having a special relationship between owner and the face of the franchise can certainly go a long way.
Phoenix Suns, valued at $1.92B, going into the 2022-23 season
Amid the controversies hounding him, Suns owner Robert Sarver has decided to put the Phoenix franchise up for sale. This is potentially a great opportunity for Mayweather if he is indeed all in on owning an NBA team. The Suns are an established ball club with a roster that’s good enough to contend for a title.
As for the logistics, the price is within Floyd’s budget and the Valley isn't’ too far away from his Las Vegas home base. We know Money-May is not well known for knocking his opponents out but him becoming the outright owner of the Suns might just be a KO purchase.
New York Knicks, valued at $6.12 billion, going into the 2022-23 season
Becoming the majority owner of the league's most valuable franchise is the exact Floyd Mayweather Jr. power move. While we have barely any idea of how the numbers might work, Floyd is nicknamed 'Money' for a reason and he does already have $2B. If he wants to, he can make it work. Also, if you're a Knicks fan, any change is better than the status quo. Isn't it?