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Rick Ross to invest in Miami Heat? A need for more Black equity in sports
An avid supporter of the Miami Heat, Miami legend, and rapper Rick Ross was a featured guest on a recent episode of Uninterrupted’s Certified Buckets podcast when he brought up an old topic of conversation.
In 2014, Diddy and Rick Ross attempted to purchase the Los Angeles Clippers when it went up for sale after the Donald Sterling controversy. They ended up getting outbid by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer who was able to seal the deal with a $2 billion offer
Seven years later, however, and Rick Ross has more aspiration to be a sports franchise owner than ever. On the podcast episode he says:
“I’m still interested in getting a small percentage of an NFL or NBA team…my money is in a different place now. I’d just invest in the Heat because we got some beautiful additions. And like I say I’m one of those people that can look three seasons ahead…I’m confident. We’ll bring them big trophies back.”
Being born and raised in Dade County, Rick Ross has been a lifelong Miami Heat fan since day one. He went from watching games from the nosebleed section to becoming a rap superstar and creating a connection with many of the players, Pat Riley, and the entire Heat organization.
This would come as no surprise as Rick Ross is known for his entrepreneurial endeavors outside of his music career, including franchising Wingstop stores.
How Rick Ross created a cash empire by franchising Wingstop
He has the connections, the capital, and the people of his city behind him.
These aspirations are not only an interesting element to Rick Ross but significant to another dynamic. There are only six people of color with ownership in all three major US sports (MLB, NBA, NFL.)
The Institute of Diversity and Ethics in Sports did a report that showed 83% of the NBA players, 69% of the NFL players, and 38% of the MLB players, are people of color so there is a staggering reflection of this when it comes to ownership.
If Rick Ross can successfully become an owner of the Miami Heat, he would make it seven.
Listen to the full episode of last week’s Certified Buckets podcast to hear more from the boss on his new album and the NBA season so far.