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Justin Bieber, Floyd Mayweather Eyeing LA Clippers Buy With Magic Johnson

By Page Mackinley
Published on: 03:59 PST, May 3, 2014

Justin Bieber and boxer Floyd Mayweather are reportedly discussing the possibility of joining Magic Johnson’s future bid for ownership of the widely coveted NBA Los Angeles Clippers franchise.

Canadian pop star Justin Bieber and champion boxer Floyd Mayweather (with the latter’s co-investors) are reportedly discussing the idea of partnering in a future bid with Lakers legend Magic Johnson for joint ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Moves to force a sale of the Los Angeles franchise began in the wake of the NBA’s lifetime ban and $2.5 million fine imposed on the disgraced, current Clippers owner Donald Sterling, following TMZ’s leak of an authenticated recording of racist comments made by the 80-year-old.

According to Yahoo Sports Broadcaster Melanie Collins, the potential involvement of Bieber with Mayweather as future bid partners with Johnson and his co-investors came to light after her Friday conversation with Floyd.

Notwithstanding Sterling’s prostate cancer condition and his likely incoming lawsuit following Thursday’s commencement of the process to force a sale of his Clippers team by the NBA’s 10-member advisory/finance committee — which needs 3/4 of the 29 owners to agree — over the past few days a crop of names have popped up in media reports musing potential Clippers owners.

Camps declared either strongly or vaguely interested in buying the team reportedly, include:

David Geffen, Oprah Winfrey, and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison; hip hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, rapper/actor Rick Ross, Dr Dre; Seattle-based former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and hedge fund manager Chris Hansen; Johnson’s group; and Mayweather and investors — which may now include Bieber.

The outcome of Mayweather’s talk with Bieber isn’t known and may be continuing. For that matter, the kid might have declined.

If he didn’t, whether Bieber’s legal cases — which could lead to criminal convictions and financial liabilities from ongoing civil lawsuits — would negatively influence a decision by Johnson and his billionaire backers ( the Guggenheim Partners) on a joint bid that includes the singer and Mayweather remains to be seen.

But, one reading of the fact that Floyd’s discussion with Bieber came after his call to Magic, suggests the Hall of Famer may not be opposed to the idea of the 20-year-old star’s possible involvement.

The reason for that could be the simplest of them all. Money.

As per Bleacher Report, Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski previously reported bidding for the clippers team could “reach well over $1 billion,” and “dwarf any sale in NBA history.” So, anyone eyeing ownership of a premiere franchise that includes titans such as Blake Griffin and Chris Paul will need to bring as much bank to the table as possible.

There’s a marathon of what ifs and hurdles to clear before any of the interested groups even gets a sniff of making a bid. But if a forced sale of Sterling’s Clippers does come to pass, and NBA commissioner Adam Silver has said he believes NBA owners will support that, it’s going to be interesting to watch bidding momentum build.

(Photo: Mayweather/Bieber via WireImage.)

Bieber is currently in Las Vegas with Mayweather, ahead of the 37-year-old’s WBA-WBC welterweight title unifier fight against Argentina’s Marcos Maidana at the MGM Grand Arena tonight.

Justin is set to reprise his hype man gig, probably with others, and walk Mayweather into the ring and certain victory if the gloves dispute is resolved.

Whether the #MoneyTeam will do the same with Johnson and co. in a future Los Angeles Clippers bid is less easy to predict.

But, never say never.

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