Ever since Chinese billionaire and part-time San Diegan Joe Tsai bought an expansion team in the National Lacrosse League and placed it in San Diego, there has been chatter about him being the man to bring a major sport back to San Diego.

On Friday, it was reported by ESPN that Tsai has bought 49 percent of the Brooklyn Nets with an option to buy controlling interest in four years.

That won’t do anything to quell the talk that Tsai plans to bring the NBA to San Diego and a possible new downtown arena.

Kevin Acee column: What does Tsai’s purchase mean for San Diego? »


There has also been talk of an NHL franchise coming to town at some point in the next decade. The San Diego Gulls are owned by Anaheim Ducks owner Henry Samueli.

While the men running the NLL franchise, christened the Seals this week, downplay talk of Tsai expanding his San Diego sports empire, many other people in town, including those who generally know such things, say that seems to be the plan.

Tsai, co-founder of Alibaba, the world’s largest online retailer, is worth almost $11 billion, according to Bloomberg.

He spends much of his time in Hong Kong. His wife and children live in La Jolla.


The ESPN report said Tsai current Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is expected to sell his interest when Tsai triggers his option in four years. Tsai’s deal does not include the Nets’ home arena, the Barclays Center.

While the Nets have reportedly been losing money since their move from New Jersey to Brooklyn on 2012, the ESPN report said the team is expected to negotiate a new long-term lease at the Barclays Center.

The NLL announced the San Diego team on Aug. 29. The team will begin play at the Valley View Casino Center in November 2018.

kevin.acee@sduniontribune.com