Jamal Mashburn had a productive 11 years in the NBA, recording over 11,000 career points and 3,000 career rebounds. Now, at 39, he’s itching for a comeback — but not as a player.
Mashburn wants to put together an ownership group to purchase the New Orleans Hornets from the NBA.
Plagued by a serious knee injury, the all-star forward quit the game in 2006 with an impressive averages of 19.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4 assists per game. Instead of squandering his earnings from the game, like we see many Black athletes are prone to do, Mashburn invested his earnings of about $75.6 million in business ventures.
The 39-year-old now has a business portfolio that includes 37 Papa John’s pizza shops, 30 Outback Steakhouse restaurants, two car dealerships and a real estate company.
“For me, being in business is always something I wanted to do. When I was a kid riding on trains in New York, I saw older people carrying a briefcase. I was always curious what was in them. That’s probably my original inspiration,” Mashburn told reporters last month at a Sino-US friendly basketball tournament.
“I can be an asset to a team as an owner, not only for my ability to scout talent, but also understand the business side of things,” Mashburn said. “The first All-Star of the Hornets comes back to buy the team — it’s going to be a great story.”
Since retiring as a Hornet in 2004, Mashburn has transitioned beautifully from the court to the business sector. He now boasts a portfolio that includes 37 Papa John’s locations, 30 Outback Steakhouses, two car dealerships and a real estate company.
“For me, being in business is always something I wanted to do,” he said. “When I was a kid riding on trains in New York, I saw older people carrying a briefcase. I was always curious what was in them. That’s probably my original inspiration.”
The league bought the Hornets’ franchise from owner George Shinn last December. Commissioner David Stern has said that the league will sell only the team to a buyer willing to keep the team in New Orleans.
Source: SI.com