Swansea City co-owner Jake Silverstein has acquired a "significant stake" in the NBL's Brisbane Bullets with the global sports investor choosing basketball, not soccer, as his entry into the Australian market.
Silverstein on Wednesday was officially added to the Bullets' controlling ownership group alongside sports agent and executive Jason Levien, who is chief executive of the American Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit DC United - also owned by Silverstein.
Former NBA guard Kevin Martin, Milwaukee Bucks guard Khris Middleton and Toronto Raptors forward Thaddeus Young also have a stake in the club.
An NBL spokesperson confirmed to AAP it has maintained a 25 per cent stake in the club that's failed to genuinely contend for a title since rebirthing after an eight-year absence in 2016.
"I believe we can make the Brisbane Bullets the premier international destination for aspiring basketball talent and a dominant force in the NBL," Silverstein, who sold his stake in the MLS's Houston Dynamo last year, said.
"I am incredibly excited to further integrate the club within the community and use the unique platform provided by professional sports to bring joy and pride to our fans."
The son of late cable television pioneer Barry, Silverstein's decision to invest in the NBL rather than the A-League comes after attempts to buy into an NBA franchise about 10 years ago fell flat.
Real estate opportunities are also reportedly part of Silverstein's vision, with Yahoo!Sports reporting preliminary discussions between ownership and government officials centred on a new 12,000-seat arena as part of a new entertainment and dining precinct.
The report cited Brisbane's 2032 Olympic Games as a key factor in investment.
The NBL is owned by real estate developer Larry Kestelman, who has overseen dramatic growth of the league on and off the court, capped by new franchise the Tasmania JackJumpers' path to the grand final.
In a blueprint of sorts, the NBL-owned JackJumpers play out of the Derwent Entertainment Centre, a redevelopment powered by the Tasmanian government and Kestelman's LK Group.
Australian Associated Press
