Martin Luther King Jr.’s oldest son and namesake, Martin Luther King, III is reportedly interested in becoming a minority owner of the New York Mets.
The New York Post reported Sunday that King was part of a group of heavy hitters interested in minority sports ownership:
The son of the late civil-rights leader is uniting with some heavy hitters, including Mets legend Ed Kranepool; entrepreneur Donn Clendenon Jr., son of the 1969 Mets World Series MVP; TV executive Larry Meli; and a number of unnamed deep-pocketed investors.
“It’s fitting with the legacy of Jackie Robinson essentially transferring to the Mets; what better place to have African-American ownership than with the Mets,” Meli said, noting that Major League Baseball has no African-American owners.
“The time and place are right for it. It just seems to be the right mix of people. The time is right, and the names in this group are Amazin’.”
In a statement released to The Associated Press, King confirmed that there has been much discussion about his participation in the acquisition of the Mets but said it was premature to make those discussions public.? In his statement, King also said he values diversity amongst owners in pro sports.
I believe in the merit and American value of creating an example, and, if I personally, or as part of a collective, can advance the vision of a more diverse ownership group in professional sports, domestically or internationally, then, like my father, I am prepared to act in that spirit.
Meli said that King, 53, who runs the King Center in Atlanta, will travel to New York this week to meet with Mets owner Fred Wilpon and his son, chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon.
The Wilpons announced Friday that they were looking to sell a 20 percent to 25 percent interest in the team. The announcement came after they were named in a lawsuit from the trustee trying to reclaim money for the victims of the Bernard Madoff swindle. (source 1 and 2)
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