Report: Diddy, Steph Curry part of billionaire's group looking to buy Panthers
It looks like Sean “Diddy” Combs really is serious about becoming an owner of the Carolina Panthers. Stephen Curry, too.
According to ESPN.com, Combs, a rapper and founder of Bad Boy Records, along with Curry, the Golden State Warriors star guard, are part of a group seeking to purchase the NFL franchise after longtime owner Jerry Richardson put the team up for sale amid a league investigation into alleged workplace misconduct.
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The effort to bid on the Panthers is led by Michael Rubin, the billionaire owner of sports apparel company Fanatics, and Combs and Curry would be part of a “strong, diverse group” looking to join forces with Rubin.
Per the ESPN.com report, Rubin’s group is one of three “serious” bidders for the team, which Forbes.com values at $2.3 billion:
Rubin, the owner of the sports apparel retailer Fanatics, on Monday was one of three known bidders with the financial strength to be a majority owner who notified the NFL with a formal letter of intent required by the league.
The other two are hedge fund billionaire David Tepper and Ben Navarro, the Charleston, South Carolina-based founder and CEO of Sherman Financial Group.
Combs and Curry offer “the robust diversity Rubin is looking for in partners and would be most likely to join his effort,” per ESPN.
A few days after Combs initially expressed interest publicly on Twitter, Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson reported that Combs was already setting up meetings with investors in hopes of putting a potential ownership group together, including free agent NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Kaepernick echoed Combs’ interest Sunday and began moving forward with plans this week. According to a source close to the quarterback, Kaepernick has already begun reaching out to a handful of business leaders, venture capitalists and sports icons to discuss an ownership group. The source close to Kaepernick said the quarterback had a “shared vision” with Combs about creating an ownership group that more closely represents the racial makeup of the league’s players, which is about 70 percent African-American. To date, the NFL has never had an African-American majority owner.
“The interest is real and it’s moving forward,” the source said of Combs and Kaepernick working together. “They want to make this a reality. It’s serious.”
ESPN’s report did not mention Kaepernick, who was not signed in 2017 after six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. The quarterback filed a collusion grievance against the NFL.
In Curry’s case, the reason for the Charlotte native and Panthers fan’s interest is clear.
“Obviously I have a day job, but I’ve got people that are plugged in and are trying to see how to make that happen,” Curry told reporters in December. “Nothing really to say about it besides that I’m very interested and very willing to do what it takes to make that happen.”
According to ESPN, bids for the team are expected to roll in “over the next couple weeks.”
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Sam Cooper is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
