LeBron: I will own an NBA team someday

LeBron James has always had one eye on his career outside of basketball, and it would seem he plans on owning an NBA franchise one day.

"I will own a team someday," James told The Athletic's Ken Berger. "That's my next thing."

James' off-court empire has expanded over the years to include SpringHill Entertainment, a media production company named after the Akron, Ohio, neighborhood he grew up in.

"Why do I want to own team? I think it'll be cool." James said. "I'll stay part of the game and still be able to put people in positions of power. I've always loved that, putting people in a position of power to feel like they can make a change and make things happen."

James already owns shares in legendary Premier League club Liverpool, and NBA ownership would be the logical next step.

Partly as a result of the enormous income they earned during their careers, former NBA superstars like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson have made the jump into North American pro sports ownership over the last decade - Jordan with the Charlotte Hornets, and Johnson with the Los Angeles Dodgers.