Sports

Jay-Z Has Sold His Stake In The Brooklyn Nets

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NBA All-Star Game, Jay-Z, Beyonce
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Jay-Z is officially selling his stake in the Brooklyn Nets so he can become an NBA agent.

He announced earlier this month that he was starting a sports agency called Roc Nation Sports and partnering CAA.

His agency signed Robinson Cano of the Yankees and Victor Cruz of the New York Giants, but to represent NBA players, Jay-Z had to divest his ownership stake in the Nets

In a statement on his Life+Times blog last night, he said he will always be a Nets fan:

Being a member of the Nets organization surpassed some of my greatest ambitions. It was never about an investment; it was about the NETS and Brooklyn. My job as an owner is over but as a fan it has just begun. I’m a Brooklyn Net forever. It’s been an honor to work with Mikhail Prokhorov, Dmitry Razumov, Christophe Charlier, ONEXIM Sports and Entertainment, Brett Yormark and all the wonderful people involved in making the Nets first class. My sincerest thanks goes to Bruce Ratner, who first introduced the idea of moving the Nets to Brooklyn. A thank you and deepest appreciation goes to the fans. You are the lifeblood of any team.

The Nets have made their mark on the NBA and as they enter a new era, Roc Nation does as well; as we embark on Roc Nation Sports. Our newest endeavor is committed to building the brands of professional athletes as we have done for some of today’s top music artists. For Roc Nation Sports to function at its full potential, NBA rules stipulate that I relinquish my ownership in the Brooklyn Nets. It was a tough decision but as I stated earlier, it’s not about ownership. Congratulations to The Nets on a great season and making the playoffs! I will always be a Brooklyn Net.

His stake was believed to be worth about ~$355,000.

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Tony Manfred is the head of video for Insider Inc. He oversees video across the company, including the Business Insider, INSIDER, Business Insider Today, and Insider Productions teams. He helped start INSIDER in 2015, focusing on social video before expanding the scope of our video efforts into new formats and platforms. He began working at Business Insider in 2011. He previously worked as a sports reporter and sports editor for BI.