NBA star Jimmy Butler acquires minority stake in NWSL side San Diego Wave

Tom Weber

• 21 Oct 2025 15:01 CDT
• 3 min read

News

Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler has become a minority owner of National Women's Soccer League franchise San Diego Wave FC.

The six-time NBA All-Star has joined the growing list of basketball players investing in football teams, following the likes of LeBron James (Liverpool), Kevin Durant (PSG, Philadelphia Union), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Nashville SC) and James Harden (Houston Dash, Houston Dynamo).

Butler owns a property in San Diego and has opted to invest in Wave FC rather than NWSL rivals Bay FC from the San Francisco area, where the 36-year-old earns his bread and butter with the Golden State Warriors.

The Olympic gold medalist wants to build 'something lasting' in the booming NWSL, which saw the single-match attendance record broken in August when the aforementioned Bay FC hosted the Washington Spirit in front of 40,091.

San Diego Wave are coming off a 6-1 thrashing of the Chicago Stars, which saw the 2023 regular season champions clinch their spot in this year's playoffs. They will host the KC Current on Decision Day in two weeks to determine their final playoff seeding.

Butler: 'San Diego is close to my heart'

In an official statement on Wave FC's club website, Butler is quoted as saying: “Soccer has been a passion of mine for a long time, and being part of the game in a meaningful way has always been a dream.

"San Diego has become a city close to my heart, and I’m proud to invest in a Club that is pushing boundaries, building something lasting, and setting a new standard for what women’s sports can be both on and off the pitch.”

Controlling Owner of the franchise, Lauren Leichtman, hailed the 'visionary' entrepreneur: “Jimmy is a competitor and visionary who shares our values and our ambition to grow this Club.

"He brings a global perspective, a deep respect for the athlete’s journey, and a creative spirit that perfectly complements what we are building here at Wave FC.”

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•App Store