Jimmy Butler looks to follow in Tom Brady’s footsteps... but with a surprise champion
The Golden State Warriors player appears to be the latest sports star keen to be part of another organization.
He’s a passionate football fan – and Jimmy Butler isn’t about to miss a golden opportunity to become a minority owner of Crystal Palace, the current FA Cup champions and a top-flight Premier League club.
According to reporting by Matt Woosie of The Athletic, Butler is part of a consortium preparing a bid of more than $200 million to acquire Eagle Football Holdings’ stake in Crystal Palace. Also named in the group are Wajid Mir, a former Roc Nation attorney, and Bejan Esmaili, a former Morgan Stanley executive.
Eagle Football – founded by John Textor – holds investments in five clubs across the globe. In 2021, Textor bought a 40% stake in Crystal Palace for £87.5 million, later increasing it by another 5% with an additional £30 million.
Alongside Crystal Palace, the Eagle Football Holdings portfolio includes Olympique Lyonnais in France’s Ligue 1, Botafogo in Brazil’s Serie A, RWD Molenbeek in Belgium’s Juliper Pro League, and the FC Florida academy in the United States.
A consortium of sport and entertainment executives, which includes the NBA star Jimmy Butler, is expected to make an offer in excess of $200million to purchase Eagle Football’s 43 per cent stake in Premier League soccer club Crystal Palace, sources briefed on the proposed deal… pic.twitter.com/Iq8xbKI1nD
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) June 11, 2025
Saving Crystal Palace’s Europa League spot
Palace secured a place in next season’s Europa League after lifting the FA Cup, overcoming the might of Man City in the final. But their ownership structure is now causing problems. UEFA rules prohibit multi-club ownership if two teams under the same group qualify for the same competition – and Lyon also earned a Europa League berth based on their Ligue 1 finish, giving them priority over the south London club.
So far, the rest of Palace’s ownership group insists that Textor has no decision-making power at the club. But the sale of his stake could be crucial to securing Palace’s place in European competition.
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