James Harden may be an NBA MVP, but he's now got ties to Major League Soccer as well. Â
The Houston Rockets star has bought into the Houston Dynamo of MLS and Houston Dash of the National Women's Soccer League as minority owner in the two clubs. Â
Harden joins fellow celebrity athlete Oscar De La Hoya in the ownership group, which is headed by Gabriel Brener. Â
âIâm very excited about the opportunity to join the ownership group of the Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash and proud to be a part of a club with tremendous history and a great future,â Harden said in a press release. Â Â
âHouston is my home now, and I saw this as a way to invest in my city and expand my business interests at the same time. Soccer in general, and especially MLS, have exploded in this country throughout my lifetime. Iâve been a fan of the game for several years, and I know that Houston has a massive soccer fanbase, so it was an easy decision for me when this opportunity arose.âÂ
Harden joined the Rockets in 2012 from the Oklahoma City Thunder and has become one of the faces of the NBA since making the move to Texas. Â
âWe are thrilled to welcome James into our club. Heâs an icon in the Houston community, and not only is he a great basketball player, he has an extremely smart and savvy mind for business,â Brener said. Â
âJames will bring a very unique perspective to our ownership group, and Iâm looking forward to hearing his thoughts and opinions on the club going forward.âÂ
The 29-year-old has a history of branching out from basketball and has a portfolio which includes the sports drink BodyArmor and Art of Sport (A.O.S.), a body- and skin-care brand for athletes, among others. Â
âJames is already at the top of the game in his sport, so itâs only natural to want to take on new challenges beyond the court,â De La Hoya said. âHe knows the drive and the determination it takes to be the absolute best, and Iâm excited that heâs going to bring that attitude to our club.âÂ