James Harden Joins Ownership of Houston's Dynamo and Dash Soccer Teams

Houston Rockets star James Harden has joined the ownership group for Major League Soccer's Houston Dynamo and the National Women's Soccer League's Houston Dash, the Dynamo announced Thursday.

Mark Berman of Fox 26 was the first to report the news and noted that Harden will be part of an ownership group that includes majority owner Gabriel Brener and legendary boxer Oscar De La Hoya.

Harden said the following regarding his foray into professional sports ownership:

"I'm very excited about the opportunity to join the ownership group of the Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash and proud to be a part of a club with tremendous history and a great future. Houston is my home now, and I saw this as a way to invest in my city and expand my business interests at the same time. Soccer in general, and especially MLS, have exploded in this country throughout my lifetime. I've been a fan of the game for several years, and I know that Houston has a massive soccer fanbase, so it was an easy decision for me when this opportunity arose."

The 29-year-old Harden has been with the Rockets since 2012 and has four years remaining on his contract.

James Harden Highlight Reel

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The Dynamo entered MLS in 2006 and won the MLS Cup in each of their first two seasons. They have struggled in recent seasons, though, with just one playoff appearance over the past five campaigns.

Although they failed to reach the playoffs in 2018, the Dynamo won the U.S. Open Cup for the first time. This season, they are eighth in the Western Conference with 27 points through 20 games.

The Dash joined the NWSL in 2014, the league's second season of operation.

They haven't enjoyed much success with no playoff appearances during their five-plus seasons in the league. The Dash did take a step forward last season, however, with a franchise-high 32 points.

Houston is seventh in the NWSL standings this season with 13 points in 12 games.

Harden will look to bring a winning attitude to the Dynamo and the Dash, as he has reached the playoffs in each of his 10 NBA seasons.