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Jimmy Haslam net worth has become a bit of a talking point around NBA circles as of late, as he might well join the league hierarchy of team governors. If his tenure from the Cleveland Browns ownership is any indication, then that might not be in the fans’ best interest.
According to recent reports, Mark Lasry is ready to sell his stake in the Milwaukee Bucks, with Haslam and the Haslam Sports Group ready to swoop in. Jimmy Haslam’s Bucks stake would be significant, but he sure can afford that, as you’ll realize when we dig deeper into Jimmy Haslam net worth. The valuation of the Bucks is $3.5 million.
Should this sale come through, then the Bucks would become the third owned by his sports group, joining the NFL’s Cleveland Browns — as we already mentioned — and also the lesser-known Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer.
Notably, these three teams all have something in common, which is that they’re all small-markets. Maybe Haslam has a thing for that. However, those two teams aren’t exactly successful in their respective endeavors, so that’s also a factor to consider.
Then again, considering the fact that the Milwaukee Bucks have recently become a marquee name in the NBA with Giannis Antetokounmpo and their recent NBA Championship, the ownership group might well want to make the most of Jimmy Haslam’s Bucks stake to help him stay in Wisconsin for the remainder of his career.
Jimmy Haslam net worth
Jimmy Haslam net worth is quite an interesting subject. According to Forbes, his fortune is valued at around $4.8 billion as of 2023, so there’s no wonder why he could afford to buy a major stake in the Milwaukee Bucks for a whopping $3.5 billion.
But how did he manage to put together such impressive wealth? You may ask, and that would be a fair question. Notably, he’s made most of his fortune by being born rich (go figure!), working at truck stop chain Pilot Flying J, his family business.
Jimmy Haslam kicked off his career from the ground (no, he didn’t), working at his old man’s company, Pilot Corporation, in the late 70s. Just four years into the job, he climbed his way to Vice President of Sales, Development, and Operations and was in charge of over 100 convenience stores.
Then, in a not-so-shocking turn of events, he was eventually promoted to president and CEO of his family’s company. Hard work pays off, kids!
The Haslams have been a part of the sports industry for over a decade now. They purchased the Cleveland Browns for roughly $1 billion in 2012, but it took quite a while before they actually found some sort of success. Notably, they’re still waiting to win the first Super Bowl in franchise history.
Then, in 2018, he and his wife Dee Haslam made a bid for the Columbus Crew, with them winning the MLS Cup a couple of years later. Will the Milwaukee Bucks follow that trend? Or will they be stuck in a mediocrity spiral forever like the Browns?
Is the end of the Giannis era soon?
Giannis Antetokounmpo still has plenty left in the tank, but he can already be considered one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history, greatest small forwards in NBA history, and greatest players in NBA history. That means the Bucks cannot afford to lose him at any cost.
But why does that matter and what does that have to do with Jimmy Haslam? Well, the current ownership made a vow to him. They promised to go over the luxury tax to keep the band together and field a competitive team year in and year out, which was one of the main reasons why Giannis decided to sign that monster contract extension with them to begin with.
Antetokounmpo doesn’t strike as the kind of player who wants everything to go his way, but NBA superstars are spoiled, and they’re used to getting everything they want. So, what if the new ownership decides that they don’t want to go over the luxury tax? What if the Haslams get too involved in the team’s day-to-day operations and they don’t see eye-to-eye with their franchise player?
Khris Middleton can opt out of his contract at the end of the season and test free agency, and his relationship with Giannis could play a major factor in his future. But what if the team doesn’t want to meet his market value and lets him walk away? You better believe the Greek Freak will start second-guessing and questioning the front office’s desire to compete at the highest level.
Giannis is a fierce competitor and one that would be willing to take a bullet for his team and his teammates, so long as the front office proves to him that they’re doing everything in their power to keep the team afloat and their championship odds as high as always. And you definitely don’t want to cross one of the best players in the game and the second-best player in franchise history.
So, all things considered, they cannot afford to let Middleton leave in free agency. On the contrary, they need to be as aggressive as Mat Ishbia was as soon as he bought the Phoenix Suns, and look to make a huge splash in the offseason by giving Giannis even more help to win a championship. Otherwise, this could be the beginning of the end of the Greek Freak era in Milwaukee.
