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Drake is trading his views from the six for the back nine. LeBron James is expanding his sports portfolio.
The Canadian rapper and NBA star are among a group of celebrities who were part of a recent investment of as much as $3 billion into the PGA Tour but whose attachment was unreported before Monday. Additional investors: actor Chris Pratt, famous for his roles in Marvel and Jurassic Park franchises; James’s business partner, Maverick Carter; and James’s agent, Rich Paul. (James’s investment is reportedly separate from the investment by Fenway Sports Group, in which James owns a small stake.)
Drake and James are considered to be “strategic investors,” and both will use their marketing influence to help the tour expand its audience. It’s a bit of an eye-raising move by the music star, who’s known more for his basketball fandom—he is a regular at Raptors games, watching his hometown team—than he is for being an avid golfer. (The same could be said for James, who isn’t associated with golf in the way that fellow NBA star Stephen Curry is.) Drake and James previously invested together in the Italian soccer club AC Milan.
“Golf can be so much more than a sport. I remember some of my best childhood memories was being on the golf course with my uncle,” Drake said in a statement to The New York Times’ DealBook. “It’s one thing to invest in a team, but to help reimagine one of the biggest leagues in the world is an incredible opportunity and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
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