Self-made billionaire Sheila Johnson is the first Black woman to own stakes in three professional sports teams: the NHL's Washington Capitals, the NBA's Washington Wizards, and the WNBA's Washington Mystics.
Category
🤖
TechTranscript
00:00And I call this, Don't Burn Your Bridges.
00:03Because Abe Poland, when he was alive,
00:05he and I were good friends.
00:07And you'll read about this in the book.
00:08I don't want to get in the weeds about this.
00:10But the ex was not very friendly to him.
00:12And he never said anything.
00:14He shall not be named.
00:15Yes.
00:17And so it was just a case where he never forgot it.
00:21He never made a big stink about it.
00:23But one day, Abe Poland and Susan O'Malley came to me,
00:27and they said, we want you to be the face of the Washington
00:29Mystics.
00:30And I said, what do you mean be the face of?
00:32They said, and I knew what they were talking about,
00:35we would like you to buy the team.
00:37So I looked at the financials, and I said,
00:40you're really losing a lot of money here.
00:42I said, this would not be a wise investment.
00:45I said, but I've got a better thing.
00:47And I called Ted Leonce's idea.
00:50I called him, and I said, Ted, I've just
00:53been offered the Washington Mystics,
00:55but I would like to go ownership into the Wizards
00:59and the NHL team, the Capitals.
01:02And I said, I'm going to put enough money in there
01:05that I am a major partner in this.
01:08And so what has happened?
01:10That has opened the door for other women
01:12to step forward and become owners, especially WNBA.
01:16Now look at soccer.
01:17Look at what's happening.