SportsPulse: NFL: Jerry Richardson plans to sell Panthers and P-Diddy has shown interest in buying the team. NFL Insider Jarrett Bell discusses if that is actually possible. USA TODAY Sports
Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry told reporters Thursday that he is "definitely" still exploring the possibility of obtaining an ownership stake in his hometown NFL team, the Carolina Panthers.
Curry, who grew up in Charlotte and has long been an avid fan of the Panthers, said that his quest to become an NFL owner is "not a distraction" during the NBA season, but "definitely something I'm working on."
"Trying to figure out the right moves and the right partners," Curry told reporters after practice. “You’ll hear stuff when I’m ready to make that be known all the way around, but it’s still ongoing.”
According to ESPN, the five-time NBA All-Star and two-time MVP had been part of a prospective ownership group led by Fanatics owner Michael Rubin. But Bloomberg reported earlier this week that Rubin's group was forced to drop out of the bidding process as the expected price of the franchise ballooned to at least $2.5 billion.
Panthers founder and controlling owner Jerry Richardson announced in December that he was putting the team up for sale after news broke that he was the subject of an internal investigation over alleged workplace misconduct.
Curry, along with rapper and producer Sean "Diddy" Combs, were among the most notable names who immediately expressed interest, with Curry citing the possibility of becoming the first African-American owner in NFL history.
"Knowing and having an opportunity to break that trend and stat, why not?" Curry said, according to The Mercury News. "That’s a pretty powerful opportunity, and one that I know doesn’t come around that often. There’s not a lot of turnover in NFL ownership."
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.