NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler becomes minority investor in NWSL's San Diego Wave
Butler joins Alex Morgan, the retired U.S. women's national team star and former Wave player, as one of the team's high-profile minority investors
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NBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist Jimmy Butler joined the NWSL's San Diego Wave as a minority investor, adding his name to a growing list of accomplished athletes who have acquired a stake in women's soccer club.
Butler joins Alex Morgan, the retired Wave player and two-time Women's World Cup winner with the U.S. women's national team, as one of the high-profile minority owners in the team. The basketball player is a known soccer fan and has a home just outside of the southern California city, his investment in the Wave serving as a meeting point for those two things.
"Soccer has been a passion of mine for a long time, and being part of the game in a meaningful way has always been a dream," Butler said in a statement issued by the club on Monday. "San Diego has become a city close to my heart, and I'm proud to invest in a Club that is pushing boundaries, building something lasting, and setting a new standard for what women's sports can be both on and off the pitch."
Butler adds his investment in the Wave to a growing business portfolio, led by Bigface, the coffee lifestyle brand he co-founded in 2020 initially as a way of selling coffee to other NBA players in the NBA Bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Warriors star also has several other investments in businesses across the sports, lifestyle and wellness industries.
"Jimmy is a competitor and visionary who shares our values and our ambition to grow this Club," Lauren Leichtman, controlling co-owner of the Wave, said. "He brings a global perspective, a deep respect for the athlete's journey, and a creative spirit that perfectly complements what we are building here at Wave FC."
The Levine Leichtman family office completed its takeover of the Wave in October 2024 for a deal reportedly worth a total valuation of $120 million, with Morgan joining the ownership group months later.
The Wave have booked a spot in the 2025 NWSL playoffs and sit in fifth place with one more match in the regular season to go. They will next play the NWSL Shield-winning Kansas City Current on Nov. 2, and a win could take them as high as third place in the table and guarantee them hosting rights for the quarterfinals.
