Oprah Winfrey interested in buying the Los Angeles Clippers

Author:
Matt Dollinger
Publish date:
Apr 30, 2014

Oprah is the latest celebrity to reportedly be interested in buying the Clippers. (Earl Gibson III/Getty Images)

The race to buy the Los Angeles Clippers -- assuming Donald Sterling is forced to sell -- just gained its biggest name yet.

On Wednesday, Oprah Winfrey became the latest celebrity with deep pockets to throw her hat in the ring. According to ESPN.com, the TV superstar and a pair of well-known rich friends are interested in buying the Los Angeles Clippers should the team's exiled owner be forced to sell.

"Oprah Winfrey is in discussions with David Geffen and Larry Ellison to make a bid for the Clippers should the team become available," a spokesperson for Oprah told ESPN.com's Arash Markazi.

According to another ESPN.com report, Oprah wants to buy the team, but does not want a role in the team's front office:

"Oprah is not interested in running the team," Geffen told (ESPN's Jeremy) Schaap. "She thinks it would be a great thing for an important black American to own [another] franchise.
"The team deserves a better group of owners who want to win. Larry would sooner die than fail. I would sooner die than fail. Larry's a sportsman. We've talked about this for a long time. Between the three of us, we have a good shot."

Geffen, a billionaire media executive, has attempted to buy the Clippers before, reportedly offering $600 million to Sterling for a majority stake in 2010. The creator of two record labels and the Dreamworks film studio has an estimated net worth of $6.2 billion, according to Forbes magazine.

"I'm a fan. I bring something to the table, it's fun and I can afford it," Geffen told ESPN. "I live in L.A., that's one thing that makes it attractive."

Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle and third-wealthiest man in America according to Forbes, has been trying to buy an NBA team for years, expressing interest in the past in Grizzlies, Warriors and Hornets.

On Tuesday, Oprah spoke to TMZ and addressed the Sterling situation, condemning the Clippers owner and exclimating "the planation days are over." She denied interest in purchasing the team at the time, but said she loved the idea of Magic Johnson owning the franchise.

Oprah is just the latest celebrity to reportedly be linked to the Clippers. Magic was mentioned as a potential owner earlier this week. The Lakers legend also already holds an ownership stake in the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Clippers season-ticket holder and former star of Malcolm In The Middle, Frankie Muniz, has also said he wants to buy the team.Boxing great Floyd Mayweather has also said he's "very, very interested" in owning the team.