Tom Brady, LeBron James… Steve Kerr: Warriors coach becomes latest US sports star to buy into a European soccer club as the nine-time NBA champ invests in Spain’s Real Mallorca
- Steve Nash, who coached under Kerr in Golden State, is another minority owner
- Brady (Birmingham) and James (Liverpool) are minority owners of English clubs
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is following in the footsteps of Tom Brady, LeBron James, and Mike Piazza by becoming the latest American sports figure to buy a stake in a European soccer club.
In his case, Kerr is joining his former Warriors assistant, Steve Nash, as a minority owner of 107-year-old Real Mallorca. The nine-time NBA champion is buying into Mallorca’s restructured ownership group, which is led by team president Andy Kohlberg and also includes Scottish-born American soccer player, Stuart Holden.
The group acquired a majority stake in the club from disgraced former Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver earlier this year as Sarver was simultaneously unloading his NBA and WNBA clubs amid hostile workplace claims and accusations of racism.
‘I’m a friend of Andy Kohlberg and we were talking this summer,’ Kerr said. ‘He told me about the change in ownership, and offered me the chance to be part of the new investment group. I’m really looking forward to it, I was in Mallorca last summer to watch a match, supporting the team and becoming a fan. It’s a very exciting opportunity.’
The club announced Kerr’s arrival X, formerly Twitter, posting an image of the 57-year-old’s nine championship rings: Four as head coach of the Warriors, three as a player with the Chicago Bulls, and another two while playing for the San Antonio Spurs.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is buying into Spain’s Real Mallorca
Mallorca fans prior to the LaLiga Santander match against Valencia CF at Visit Mallorca Estadi
Real Mallorca’s Kosovar forward Vedat Muriqi challenges Villarreal’s Danish goalkeeper
‘When he was here a year ago and spoke to the players, he made a big impact and I loved hearing the message about the importance of being a team and the involvement of each member, on the pitch and on the bench, in order to always be ready,’ said Kohlberg, who is American. ‘The players loved it and Steve enjoyed it, too.’
Kerr is hardly the first NBA star to invest in a European soccer club.
Nash, a Hall of Fame player who was fired as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets in 2022, became a Mallorca shareholder in 2016.
James bought 2 percent of Liverpool and then grew his stake in the English club in a deal with majority owner, Fenway Sports Group.
And it’s not just the NBA. Brady recently attended his first Birmingham game after buying into the English club.
James (left) bought 2-percent of Liverpool and then grew his stake in club with a later deal. Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza (right) bought a majority stake in Italy’s A.C. Reggiana
Birmingham City co-owner Tom Brady meets fans at half-time during a match at St. Andrew’s
Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza actually bought a majority stake in third-division Italian soccer club A.C. Reggiana, much to the dismay of team fans. Despite some early optimism, the 103-year-old club struggled under Piazza, ultimately going bankrupt and falling out of Italy’s Serie C.
Since then, the club has reformed without Piazza, who was widely disliked by the end of his tenure as owner.
As for Mallorca, the team finished ninth in La Liga last season and is currently 0-1-1 to start this campaign.
Kerr, meanwhile, is currently preparing to coach the US men at the FIBA World Cup later this month in the Philippines.