Haslams' purchase of Milwaukee Bucks' stake gets the green light from the NBA

The Haslam family's purchase of a significant stake in the Milwaukee Bucks has been given approval by the NBA.

The NBA’s board of governors has given the green light to Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam to purchase the 25% stake of Marc Lasry in the Milwaukee Bucks. This development means that the Haslams are now co-owners of a Bucks squad, along with Wes Edens and Jamie Dinan, that is expected to contend for a title this season and in the years to come.

Championship organization

In a statement, the Haslams recognize what the Bucks have built through the years—a championship-contending squad that plays hard and is an exciting team to watch. The couple expressed their enthusiasm for the opportunity to join the ownership group of a championship organization:

“This ownership group has created a championship organization both on and off the court, a standard that is rare in sports, and we highly respect the team they have built,” the Haslams said. “We have tremendous appreciation for the impressive history of basketball in Milwaukee and the passionate and loyal fan base."

Controversial owners

This is not Haslam’s first venture into professional sports ownership. They also own the Columbus Crew of the Major League Soccer and the aforementioned Cleveland Browns of the National Football League.

Their tenure with the Browns, though, has not been without controversy. The Haslams received incredible backlash last year when they signed up quarterback Deshaun Watson to a massive contract while he was being accused of sexual misconduct by numerous women in Texas.