ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) 鈥 The chance to rub shoulders with quarterback Josh Allen and use their Toronto connections to broaden the Buffalo Bills鈥 reach into Canada鈥檚 largest city wasn鈥檛 the only thing on the minds of former NBA stars Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady and soccer鈥檚 Jozy Altidore in purchasing a minority share of the franchise.
More importantly, the trio of successful Black athletes view their crossover sport endeavor as an opportunity to increase diversity at the NFL ownership level.
鈥淚t鈥檚 cool to be investing in an NFL franchise, but this is inspiring to so many people that look like us,鈥 McGrady said during a Zoom call featuring all three on Friday.
鈥淭his is a barometer for us to do our jobs and be a stand-in for the next phase of ownership, whether it鈥檚 minority, whether it鈥檚 majority, whether it鈥檚 an individual,鈥 he added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 up to us to really carry this the right way and setting an example for the next people coming along.鈥
Carter went so far as to mention the impact sisters Venus and Serena Williams made on Black people in tennis.
鈥淒iversity and inclusion is something that organizations and businesses are trying to accomplish,鈥 Carter said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just young Black kids and Black girls or whatever, it鈥檚 for all kids. It鈥檚 possible if you do it the right way.鈥
Carter and McGrady are cousins who were Toronto Raptors teammates and both inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The 35-year-old Altidore is regarded among the top American soccer players of his generation, and was the MLS Cup MVP in helping Toronto FC win its title in 2017.
They鈥檙e among 10 limited partners who were approved by the NFL earlier this month to purchase a noncontrolling minority share of the Bills, with team owners Terry and Kim Pegula maintaining about 79% of the team. The trio of athlete鈥檚 stake represents about a combined 4%.
The NFL鈥檚 loosening of rules allowing franchises to add limited partners has brought an increasing number of minorities to the owner' table. The Williams sisters own shares in the Miami Dolphins while Magic Johnson recently purchased a stake in the Washington Commanders.
Jacksonville鈥檚 Shad Khan, who is of Pakistani descent, was the NFL鈥檚 first minority owner, followed by Kim Pegula, who is from South Korea.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e talking about a kid that鈥檚 come from challenging upbringings, right?鈥 McGrady said, reflecting on the difficulties he faced growing up in central Florida, and the opportunities sports brought.
鈥淪o to be in in this position, I鈥檓 so proud of what I had to overcome and being able to do that, to set an example for a lot of kids that look like me,鈥 he added. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 sure Jozy and Vince could tell that same story. But this is pretty freaking cool at the end of the day.鈥
The idea of purchasing a share of the Bills was first prompted by McGrady, which led to Carter attending NFL owners meetings in March, when he met with Terry Pegula. The three then joined forces and , which included attending the Bills game against Jacksonville in September.
Being a part owner of the Bills is a dream come true especially for Altidore, who became a fan of the team while playing in Toronto from 2015-21. He recalled how thousands of Torontonians would make the cross-border trip to Buffalo even when the Bills were struggling amid a 17-year playoff drought that ended in 2017.
鈥淚 generally got to watch that team grow through good and bad and watch their popularity grow,鈥 Altidore said. 鈥淭o now marry the two, I mean, yeah, I couldn鈥檛 be happier.鈥
The Bills are already popular across southern Ontario, where they draw more than 15% of their season ticket base. The three new minority owners believe they can grow the franchise鈥檚 profile across the region further, especially at a time when the for the start of the 2026 season.
McGrady laughed when recalling how he and Carter helped introduce the NBA to Toronto some 25 years ago.
鈥淭hat was a challenge. I mean, we had 15,000-16,000 in there and you do something spectacular and it鈥檚 quiet. They didn鈥檛 know what the hell just happened,鈥 McGrady said. 鈥淲e did a great job of igniting that fan base. Now it鈥檚 time to do it on the other side, but with a different sport.鈥
Carter remembered when Bills hall of famers Thurman Thomas and Bruce Smith would sit courtside at Raptors games.
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping we can create new fans for the Bills not only because of what we鈥檝e accomplished, but to open their eyes to the Bills and see what they鈥檙e doing,鈥 Carter said . 鈥淲hat better time to become a Bills fan than right now?鈥
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