Los Angeles Clippers security guard Russell Westbrook joins 49ers Enterprises-led consortium trying to take over Leeds United. Westbrook will be a minor shareholder in the English football club alongside golfers Jordan Speith and Justin Thomas, who joined the ownership group earlier this week.
49ers Enterprises, an investment arm of the San Francisco 49ers, has been a Leeds shareholder since the club’s initial investment in May 2018.
“I was lucky enough to have conversations with some of the partners in this deal that already own the 49ers,” Westbrook said during a sports and entertainment summit held by Sportico.
“So I was lucky enough to talk to friends about that, also talk to my business partner about different things and have conversations, to figure out if this was the right deal and how we could make it different.”
Earlier this month, Westbrook agreed to a two-year, $7.8 million deal to stay with the Clippers after signing with the franchise late in the 2022-2023 season.
In June, Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani reached an agreement to sell his stake in the team to 49ers Enterprises, who would then own a majority stake in the club. The deal is yet to be ratified by the English Football League.
Leeds previously played in the Premier League but were relegated to the second tier at the end of the 2022–23 season due to a 19th-place finish in the Premier League.