NBA legend Magic Johnson has opened up on the $6billion (£4.7bn) bid he is part of to buy NFL franchise, the Washington Commanders, and says the consortium are “excited” about the prospect of owning the team.
Johnson, alongside 76ers owner Josh Harris and billionaire Mitchell Rales, submitted a bid to controversial Commanders owner Dan Snyder last week. “Yes, our bid is in," Magic said during an appearance on Tuesday's episode of "Today”. "We hope that we win. We don't know what's going to happen."
“We'll see what happens with Mr. Snyder making that decision,” Magic added. “But we're excited about it."
The bid would spell the end for Snyder, who has been under fire since an investigation commissioned by the NFL in 2020. An independent counsel led by Beth Wilkinson, stated that the franchise's workplace environment "both generally and particularly for women, was highly unprofessional”.
The Commanders and Snyder are still under investigation by former US Attorney Mary Jo White, who was retained by the league to look into various aspects of the organisation coming from a congressional review into workplace misconduct. The review also included a referral to the Federal Trade Commission for potential business improprieties.
A report on the Commanders and Snyder will be released when it is concluded, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has confirmed. Goodell said: “We'll allow (White) to do her job and then we'll see where we are.”
Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos also has submitted a fully funded $6bn offer for the Commanders. Should a sale be sanctioned, it would break the franchise sale record held by Walmart heir Rob Walton, who bought the Denver Broncos for $4.65bn last August.
Harris and Johnson already have experience in owning sports teams. In 2011, Johnson joined the bid group led by Guggenheim executives to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers. Johnson put in $50million (£40.7m) into the $2bn+ sale, and the Dodgers are now valued at north of $5bn.
There is no timeline on when Snyder will make his decision on the bids submitted for the Commanders.
