Houston: Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander has put the NBA club up for sale less than two weeks after he signed star forward James Harden to the richest contract in league history.
The Rockets are the eighth most valuable franchise in the league at $1.65 billion and their annual revenue is $244 million, according to Forbes magazine. That is substantially more than the 73-year-old Alexander purchased the team for in 1993 when it was valued at $85 million.
“It’s been my great joy and honour to own the Houston Rockets for the past 24 years,” Alexander said on Monday.
“I’ve had the incredible opportunity to witness true greatness through the players and coaches who have won championships for the city, been named to All-Star and All-NBA teams, enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame, and done so much for our franchise and our fans.”
Alexander recently signed Harden to a four-year contract extension that means he will make $228 million over the next six seasons through 2022-23.
The 27-year-old Harden, runner-up for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award last season, has two years and $59 million left on his current contract. The four-year extension carries a value of $169 million.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said on Monday he had great respect for Alexander because he “brought two NBA championships” to Houston.
American forward Paul Pierce, meanwhile, signed a one-day contract with the Boston Celtics in a move that allows him to retire as a member of the NBA franchise.
The 39-year-old Pierce spent the first 15 years of his career with Boston, helping the club to a league championship in 2008.
“It’s an honour to have this opportunity to once again call myself a Boston Celtic,” said Pierce, a 10-time all star. “The organisation and city took me in and made me one of their own, and I couldn’t imagine ending my career any other way.”
“I’m a Celtic for life.”
Team owner Wyc Grousbeck said they also plan to retire Pierce’s No. 34 so that no other player will be able to wear it.
Pierce averaged 19.7 points and 3.5 assists while playing in 1,343 career games with the Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers.
