Basketball hall-of-famer Magic Johnson is part of a group vying to buy the Washington Commanders from Daniel and Tanya Snyder. Johnson appeared on the TODAY show, and he got asked about the potential sale.
“Yes, our bid is in,” Johnson said (h/t Ben Standing of The Athletic). “We hope that we win. We don’t know what’s going to happen. We’ll see what happens with Mr. Snyder making that decision. But we’re excited about it.”
Johnson joined the bidding group led by Josh Harris and Mitchell Rales to purchase the NFL franchise. The group officially placed a bid last week, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Candian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos also put in an offer for the Commanders.
Snyder is reportedly seeking $6 billion to sell the team. That figure would surpass the NFL-record $4.65 billion the Denver Broncos were sold for last year. Harris and Magic Johnson linked together during the sale process of the Broncos. However, Rob Walton and Gregory Penner got awarded the Broncos.
The Harris group has long been considered the frontrunner in the Washington Commanders’ sale. Snyder bought the team in 1999 for a then-record $800 million. Since Snyder became the owner, the once-storied franchise has been anything but that.
“I got a ring in every sport, but I need a Super Bowl ring,” Johnson added on TODAY, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post. “And I would love to be the owner of the Commanders to not only do great work on the field but the work we could do with the city.
“I think if they bless us — Mr. Snyder blesses us — with the opportunity to be an owner it would be an emotional day for me,” Johnson continued. “My father just died, so it would be a great moment for the Johnson family as well as Josh Harris, who is the lead partner in this, to take that franchise and take it to another level. So I’m kind of excited about it, and another African-American owner.”
Johnson won five NBA titles as a player. He also has won a World Series ring, WNBA ring, and MLS Cup ring as a part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Sparks, and LAFC.
For 24 years under Snyder, the Commanders franchise has seemingly made more headlines for off-the-field issues than winning. Snyder has explored selling the team after being the subject of multiple investigations for sexual harassment and workplace misconduct.
Commanders fans yearn for the day Snyder moves on and sells the team. Johnson confirmed on TODAY that day is potentially on the cusp of arriving.
