Jerry Reinsdorf could be putting the Chicago White Sox up for sale, but fans of the other pro sports team that Reinsdorf owns may not be as lucky.
The news broke Wednesday that the longtime White Sox owner Reinsdorf, 88, is now “open” to selling the team (with a former All-Star pitcher already said to be in talks to possibly purchase the White Sox). This comes after the White Sox just lost an all-time MLB record 121 games in 2024, completing their transformation into the laughingstock of baseball.
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported on the status of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, also owned by Reinsdorf, amidst the reports. Cowley writes that the White Sox rumors mean “very little” for the fate of the Bulls. This is because Reinsdorf and his son Michael reportedly view an NBA team as an “investment to keep in the family.” The salary-capped nature of the NBA as well as its continued growth are cited by Cowley as reasons for that belief.
That is certainly a defensible stance from Reinsdorf. The NBA’s yearly revenue continues on an impressive upward trend, surpassing $10.5 billion in the 2022-23 season. While that is still below the $11.3 billion that Major League Baseball pulled in during their 2023 season, there is still plenty of room to the upside for the NBA with a new TV deal kicking in during the 2025-26 season and possible expansion from 30 to 32 teams rumored to be coming in 2027.
Reinsdorf purchased the Bulls in 1985 and oversaw all six of their NBA titles during the Michael Jordan era. Chicago has mostly been stuck in mediocrity since then though with just a lone conference finals appearance in the 21st century. While some current Bulls players may even be in favor of Reinsdorf selling their team, it sounds like that one is going to stay in the family for a long time to come.
