Last Friday afternoon, 3-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade became part owner of the Utah Jazz. Wade will be joining the ownership group which includes majority owner and team governor Ryan Smith, who purchased the team in October.
Smith, co founder of Qualtrics, has been in contact with Wade for years now, discussing opportunities to work with one another. Smith says he’s excited to work with Wade and what he has in store for the franchise.
“Dwyane is not only a basketball legend, he is also a great leader, businessman, and human being,” said Smith in a statement. “As we continue to build on the incredible legacy of the Utah Jazz franchise, we are excited to add Dwyane’s experience and expertise to the equation. Utah is an amazing place and I couldn’t be more thrilled about the future of the franchise and the future of this state. Dwyane’s influence will be important to both.”
Legend, Leader, Businessman.
Welcome to the Utah Jazz family 🖤 pic.twitter.com/2YgPLHrTAu
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 16, 2021
In his announcement, Wade talked about how the Jazz ownership group parallel his “vision and values” he believes should be focused on.
“Not only is this group focused on building a championship franchise, they are also committed to using their platform to do good and actively create a more inclusive, equitable world,” Wade said in a statement. “We share a lot of the same goals and are trying to go to the same places in life. As a businessman, entrepreneur, and investor, I bring a lot to this partnership outside of my basketball experience. I’m excited to help take the Utah Jazz to the next level.”
Besides Wade, other NBA athletes who took on executive roles in retirement include Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal and Grant Hill.
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