This afternoon, the NBA Board of Governors made official what was agreed on a few weeks ago: Dee and Jimmy Haslam are co-owners of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Haslam Sports Group (HSG) already had two Ohio-based professional franchises in its portfolio — the NFL’s Cleveland Browns and the Columbus Crew from MLS — when it agreed to purchase Marc Lasry’s 25% share of the Bucks at the end of February. According to the Journal Sentinel, HSG paid $800 million, exceeding the $2.3 billion value Forbes assigned to the team back in October.
Lasry was in the midst of his five-year term as governor of the Bucks, a role that represents the team at the league level and also acts as the last word in the decision-making process. In a release announcing the NBA’s approval of the sale, the team clarified that co-owner Wes Edens will immediately start his governorship, with Jamie Dinan continuing to serve as the other co-owner.
“On behalf of Jamie and the entire ownership group, I want to welcome Dee, Jimmy and the Haslam family to the Bucks,” Edens said in the release. “The Bucks have a special bond with the people of Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin, and we’re looking forward to working closely with Dee and Jimmy to further build upon our team’s success, both on and off the court.
“Their professional sports experience, and profound engagement and desire to positively impact communities will provide important contributions to our franchise’s long-term success. We’re very proud of the impact our ownership group has had over the past nine years and believe that we’re well-positioned for an even brighter future.”
Dee and Jimmy Haslam; their daughter, Whitney Haslam Johnson; and her husband, JW Johnson, founded HSG in 2020. The company’s portfolio includes sports franchises, ventures, facilities and properties. According to the release, Edens, Dinan and HSG will “control and operate” the following:
- The Milwaukee Bucks
- Fiserv Forum
- The Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Sports Science Center, the team’s training center
- The Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks’ G League affiliate
- Bucks Gaming, the team’s 2K League affiliate
“We are equally honored and excited for the opportunity to invest in the Milwaukee Bucks, and join the Edens and Dinan families as partners,” Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in the release. “This ownership group has created a championship organization both on and off the court, a standard that is rare in sports, and we highly respect the team they have built.
“We have tremendous appreciation for the impressive history of basketball in Milwaukee, and the passionate and loyal fan base. We appreciate the power of sports and its unique ability to bring people together and make a positive difference in our communities. We are thrilled to join the NBA and look forward to providing the support necessary for the Bucks to continue to achieve sustainable success.”
