James Harden Acquires Minority Stake in Houston Dynamo, Dash

Houston Rockets guard James Harden has joined the ownership group of the Houston Dynamo, Houston Dash and BBVA Stadium.

Houston Rockets guard James Harden has joined the ownership group of MLS's Houston Dynamo, NWSL's Houston Dash and BBVA Compass Stadium, Harden and the club announced on Thursday.

"I’m very excited about the opportunity to join the ownership group of the Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash and proud to be a part of a club with tremendous history and a great future," Harden said. "Houston is my home now, and I saw this as a way to invest in my city and expand my business interests at the same time. Soccer in general, and especially MLS, have exploded in this country throughout my lifetime. I’ve been a fan of the game for several years, and I know that Houston has a massive soccer fanbase, so it was an easy decision for me when this opportunity arose."

In addition to Harden, the ownership group includes majority owner Gabriel Brener—who purchased his share of the team in Dec. 2015—and boxer Oscar De La Hoya. 

"We are thrilled to welcome James into our club. He’s an icon in the Houston community, and not only is he a great basketball player, he has an extremely smart and savvy mind for business," Brener said. "James will bring a very unique perspective to our ownership group, and I’m looking forward to hearing his thoughts and opinions on the club going forward."

“This is my city and I’m here to stay.” @JHarden13 on joining @HoustonDynamo and @HoustonDash’s ownership group (via @HoustonDynamo) https://t.co/vXtp3zJ8uE

— SI Soccer (@si_soccer) July 18, 2019

Harden, 29, joined the Rockets in 2012, earning All-Star nods in each of his campaigns since. The 2018 league MVP has led the Rockets to the playoffs every year since arriving to Houston and has earned first-team All-NBA honors in five of the past six seasons.

The Dynamo are currently in eighth place in MLS's Western Conference with an 8-3-9 record. The Dash, the only NWSL club without a player on the U.S. women's national team's Women's World Cup championship squad, are in seventh place with a 3-4-5 record.