Blake Griffin’s career as a basketball player is over, but he’s still making waves in the sporting world.
The retired NBA All Star is following in the footsteps of Wrexham AFC owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, to take on the challenge of owning a professional club.
Griffin has teamed up with Ryan Kalil, a former Pro Bowl NFL center, to lead a group that has purchased a majority stake in an American football team based in Monterrey, Mexico.
Fundidores de Monterrey play in Mexico’s pro American football league, Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA).
Griffin and Kalil, alongside an ownership group of current and former professional athletes, aim to elevate the team and league globally with their purchase.
Other notable names involved are NFL running back Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle, quarterback Sam Darnold and former Pro Bowl tight end turned broadcaster Greg Olsen.
Kalil and Griffin, who are partners in the production company Mortal Media, will also produce a documentary capturing the team’s transformation.
According to a press release, the project will follow their experiences as new team owners and explore the challenges of managing a football club abroad.
It will also ‘celebrate the unwavering passion of the fans, the resilience of the coaches, and the determination of the players’ competing in a league striving for growth and recognition despite modest resources.
They will be hoping to find similar success to Reynolds and McElhenney, the brains behind FX’s award-winning docuseries Welcome to Wrexham.
While the pair have not provided the financial details behind their new project, Kalil has revealed the group purchased the club for a seven-figure sum.
And they have wasted no time getting stuck in.
The first major initiative under the new ownership is a complete rebrand, with the team, formerly Fundidores (Smelters), adopting the new name ‘Osos’ (Bears).
“Osos was inspired by the black bears native to Monterrey and the Sierra Madre mountains,” Griffin explained of the decision.
“The name is simple, memorable, and rooted in the city’s identity.
“It stands for resilience, strength, and grit – qualities that define Monterrey and what we want this team to stand for. This marks an exciting new era for the team, the league, and its fans.”
Osos Monterrey was founded in 2017 and made headlines in their first season, when NFL legend Chad Johnson played his final professional game with the team, recording three catches and a touchdown.
They have since become a powerhouse in the LFA, claiming their first championship in 2022.
Additional investors from sports and entertainment are expected to be announced in the near future, with Kalil vowing to help grow the profile of not only Osos Monterrey, but the LFA as a whole.
“Football isn’t just a game – for many of us, it’s defined who we are,” he said.
“This won’t be a passive investment; it’s an opportunity to help grow the game internationally alongside lifelong friends who bring unmatched experience and perspective from playing at the highest level of professional sports.”
