Magic Johnson: Commanders Sale Is a 'Historic Moment for the Entire Black Community'

Thursday's sale of the Washington Commanders was a big victory not just for the new ownership group, but for diversity and inclusion efforts in the NFL.

And Magic Johnson knows it.

Johnson, a retired NBA superstar, was one of the biggest partners in Josh Harris' ownership group that purchased the Commanders for $6.05 billion—a record-breaking amount.

His inclusion in the group makes him one of the few Black co-owners in the league, joining Formula 1 superstar Lewis Hamilton and former United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, both of whom are with the Broncos.

Johnson took a moment to acknowledge the historic event Thursday on Twitter following the NFL owners' approval of the deal at a special session.

"This is truly the biggest achievement in my business career and a historic moment for the entire Black community," Johnson wrote. "Talk about God's perfect timing. This was the right organization for me to be a part of given it's global appeal, history of winning, and the diverse fanbase and DMV community. I have a special relationship with the DMV. Many people don't know I've done business in the Washington, DC area for many years.

"I was one of the owners of the Washington Hilton, I built multiple Starbucks franchises and Magic Johnson Theaters, and empowerment centers with the Magic Johnson Foundation. I also have my company SodexoMAGIC headquartered here. The DMV community has embraced and supported me, and I am honored and ecstatic to be a co-owner of the Commanders franchise!"

It was a great moment for Johnson, who had attempted to own an NFL organization in the past, coming up just short last year when he and Harris tried to purchase the Denver Broncos, ultimately getting outbid by Walmart heir Rob Walton and his group, who paid $4.65 billion.

The purchase of the Commanders was a tight one, full of competition. Harris and Johnson's group were in a heated race with Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos. Others in the bidding process included Houston Rockets governor Tilman Fertitta and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

NFL ownership is still overwhelmingly white, with Jacksonville's Shahid Khan and Buffalo's Kim Pegula as the only principal owners who are not white.

Hopefully, Johnson could be a start to steering the league in a better direction.