James Harden, the 2018 NBA MVP with the Houston Rockets, is expanding his profile in the Bayou City.
Harden bought into a minority share of the Houston Dynamo, Houston Dash and BBVA Stadium on Thursday.
. @HoustonDynamo pic.twitter.com/mKZ15cR4du
— James Harden (@JHarden13) July 18, 2019
How we feelin' Houston? pic.twitter.com/ISC8I5Z2sm
— Houston Dynamo (@HoustonDynamo) July 19, 2019
“I’m very excited about the opportunity to join the ownership group of the Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash and proud to be a part of a club with tremendous history and a great future,” Harden said. “Houston is my home now, and I saw this as a way to invest in my city and expand my business interests at the same time. Soccer in general, and especially MLS, have exploded in this country throughout my lifetime. I’ve been a fan of the game for several years, and I know that Houston has a massive soccer fanbase, so it was an easy decision for me when this opportunity arose.”
Harden joined the ownership group led by Gabriel Brener, who has owned a majority share of the Dynamo since 2015 and is the only Mexican-born owner of a major American sports team.
“We are thrilled to welcome James into our club. He’s an icon in the Houston community, and not only is he a great basketball player, he has an extremely smart and savvy mind for business,” Brener said. “James will bring a very unique perspective to our ownership group, and I’m looking forward to hearing his thoughts and opinions on the club going forward.”
Harden grew up in Los Angeles but has been with Houston since 2012, when he joined from the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Rockets recently acquired his former OKC teammate Russell Westbrook, and Harden was sure to emphasize that despite his involvement with the Dynamo and Dash, he’s still devoted to bringing the NBA title back to Houston.
"This is my city and I'm here to stay"@JHarden13 holding it down for H-Town pic.twitter.com/y1yxeaYuoz
— Houston Dynamo (@HoustonDynamo) July 18, 2019
Harden isn’t the only sports icon involved in the Dynamo ownership. Famed boxer Oscar De La Hoya is also a part owner, making that two Olympic gold medalists among the club’s owners.
With Harden also becoming part owner of the Houston Dash, the NWSL club now has links to Houston’s NBA and NFL team, with captain Kealia Ohai being engaged to Houston Texans superstar J.J. Watt. We’re still waiting on the Houston Astros to join in on the fun; I bet Jose Altuve could be a great No. 10 if given an opportunity.
Harden isn’t just a rich guy trying to make a sound investment; he’s an actual soccer fan. Earlier this year he hung out at the Emirates and looked good in Arsenal’s new adidas kit.
Thank you @Arsenal for having me ! @AdidasLondon pic.twitter.com/4WVvJPyudm
— James Harden (@JHarden13) July 11, 2019
Now if the Dynamo could just sign a dynamic scorer like Harden, who has led the NBA in scoring the last two seasons, especially after Houston was trounced 5-0 by Atlanta on Wednesday.
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