Ex-Disney CEO and Joshua Kushner Explore Las Vegas NBA Bid, Bloomberg Reports

Joshua Kushner and a former Disney chief executive are reportedly exploring a joint bid for a Las Vegas NBA franchise, Bloomberg reported. The pair are considering the move through Kushner's venture firm, which added a stake in the San Francisco Giants to its portfolio earlier this year.

A Venture Platform Moves Into Basketball

The San Francisco Giants investment was Kushner's venture firm's most visible entry into professional sports ownership. A Las Vegas NBA bid would extend that strategy from baseball into basketball, pushing the firm across two of North America's largest professional leagues in the span of a single year.

The NBA has become one of the more sought-after destinations for institutional and venture-backed capital as the league's global audience has grown and franchise valuations have moved higher. Las Vegas, which has drawn several major professional sports franchises over the past decade, ranks among the most closely watched expansion markets in the sport.

What the Disney Connection Adds

Pairing a former Disney chief executive with a venture-capital vehicle signals that the group is positioning itself as more than a financial buyer. Disney has operated at the center of professional sports broadcasting for decades, and any former Disney CEO arrives at an ownership negotiation with firsthand experience managing the relationship between leagues and major media partners — a dynamic that matters to the NBA as it navigates its next generation of broadcast deals.

Where the Bid Stands

Bloomberg described the discussions as exploratory. No formal offer has been submitted, and the composition of the ownership group could shift before anything reaches the NBA's board of governors. The league controls franchise sale approvals and has historically used that authority to shape the profile of incoming owners, making early-stage reports a starting point rather than a finish line.