Aaron Rodgers isn't just a future Hall of Fame quarterback — he's also a basketball fan.
In 2017, Rodgers turned that hoops fandom into an investment when he purchased a minority stake in the Milwaukee Bucks. Rodgers is still starring for the Packers as Giannis Antetokounmpo has led the Bucks to regular-season dominance just down the road. It's a two-superstar region, and Rodgers has a foothold in both aspects.
Here's what you need to know about Rodgers' ownership stake in the Bucks and why he wanted to invest in an NBA team.
MORE: Why Aaron Rodgers having 'down years' is a myth
Does Aaron Rodgers own the Bucks?
Aaron Rodgers owns a 1-percent stake in the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Packers quarterback invested his money in 2017. He hasn't disclosed how much money he invested, but when the Bucks were bought in 2014, it was for $550 million. A percent of that would equal $5.5 million. The Bucks are now worth more than $1 billion, making the value of a 1-percent stake somewhere in the eight figures.
Why did Aaron Rodgers want a stake in the Bucks?
Rodgers spoke with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 2019 about why he wanted a piece of the Bucks. The quarterback summed up all his thoughts rather nicely.
"I just wanted to be involved," Rodgers said, "first of all because I love basketball and second because I’ve been here for so long I wanted, besides my Packer connection, just another natural connection to the state that I love and that I’ve grown up in."
The Journal Sentinel wrote that Rodgers had nearly gotten involved in 2014 when Wes Edens and Marc Lasry purchased the Bucks. When a minority owner sold their ownership stake in 2017, Edens called Rodgers.
“The money part didn’t really matter to me because from a pure business standpoint the NBA is doing great,” Rodgers said. “Ratings are doing great. The new TV deal and the looming TV deal are fantastic. There’s a lot of star power in the NBA, which is driving revenue and interest. You still got the LeBrons of the world, the Russell Westbrooks, the Warriors with Steph (Curry) and 'KD' (Kevin Durant) and now with Giannis (Antetokounmpo) in Milwaukee, there is a lot of superstar talent and people who are really marketing themselves and are good for the league.”
Former NBA players like Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Steve Nash have gotten involved into athletic ownership, as has LeBron James. It's not as common a space for NFL players, but Rodgers found a spot he could get involved with in the region he values so dearly.
In speaking with the Journal Sentinel, Rodgers didn't rule out getting further into sports ownership when he retires. He mentioned MLS "blowing up" as an area that's piqued his interest, and he'll of course already have the inroad to the Bucks.
"The ownership part seems a little more my speed," Rodgers said, "and what I want to do when I retire from sports.”