Carmelo Anthony Buys NASL Team Puerto Rico FC

Carmelo Anthony became a sports owner Thursday, though his sport of choice may surprise some people.

In a press conference, Anthony and soccer team Puerto Rico FC announced that the 31-year-old will be the side's owner, and it'll be the 13th club to join the North American Soccer League (NASL), starting in 2016.

The club posted the following on its Twitter page:

Anthony spoke about his decision to purchase the club with Jeff Carlisle of ESPN FC:

"

My passion for soccer has always been there.

I just always kept it to myself and among my circle. Going to games, sneaking into games and just watching and being around the sport over the years. The more time I started spending in Puerto Rico over the past six, seven years I realized that there was kind of a void down there on my island. The island didn't really have anything that they could kind of call their own, that they could represent not just on the island but from a global standpoint.

"

Anthony, who is of Puerto Rican descent, also trains in the country during the offseason, which will give him more time to be hands-on in that capacity, even if playing for the New York Knicks remains his top priority.

He is coming off a tough season with the Knicks, appearing in just 40 games because of a left knee injury, though he did average 24.2 points and 6.6 rebounds.

For soccer fans in Puerto Rico, this is exciting news, as the country last had an NASL team—the Puerto Rico Islanders—in 2012. The hope will be that Puerto Rico FC has more longevity than the Islanders, however, as that team was only in existence from 2003 to 2012.