NBA champion Josh Hart buys into Napoli Basketball and joins the board

Josh Hart, the New York Knicks player and NBA champion, is one of the new shareholders in Napoli Basketball. He comes in with Matt Hillman, his business partner and co-host of the podcast "Roommates".

"I have always wanted to become co-owner of a club."

The club he is joining

Underdog Global Partners bought Napoli Basketball in 2025. Predictive VC joined as a minority partner in 2026. The first team plays in Italy's top division and in the EuroCup, and the club also has a women's team in Serie A2 (the second tier). There are plans for a new arena, and the stated aim is to reach the top level of European basketball.

An investor before a club owner

This is Hart's first investment in a sports club, but not his first investment. He holds stakes in Lemon Perfect, a drinks company, and in the soft-drinks company founded by the actor Ben Stiller. He invested in FaZe Clan, an esports and lifestyle business, and later sold out. His other holdings include InVintory, an app for managing wine cellars, Wax, which insures watches and collectibles, and Dapper Labs, a blockchain gaming company. He has also sold his stake in Mela, which makes watermelon drinks.

Hillman brought him the deal at the end of the summer. Before signing, Hart asked people inside the Knicks organisation about the club and about European basketball.

A link with the city

Hart's connection with Naples goes back a few years. He spent a few days in the city on his honeymoon five years ago, and this summer he came back to Campania for a holiday on Capri.

He admits the NBA schedule means he cannot follow the club day to day. He wants to help in specific areas instead: physical and mental preparation, spotting talent on and off the court, and building brands. On that last point, he, Hillman and Brunson already have experience with The Roommates Show.

Basketball only

This deal concerns the basketball club only. That is worth saying clearly, because ownership talk carries a different weight around the football club.

On 22 October Napoli answered a 2.26 billion offer from the United States with a flat "Napoli is not for sale". At the end of October there were two meetings with the Apontes in Geneva. On 7 November the Curve (the hardcore ends behind the goals) displayed a banner reading "your only goal is monetary value".

All of this leads to the question many supporters are asking. With the team tenth, on 15 points after 11 matches, is the club's future a serious issue or a distraction?

One thing is certain, and it has nothing to do with business. On Saturday 21 November at 20:45 CET (19:45 UK, 14:45 ET), Napoli play Torino at the Maradona, their first home game since the protest of 8 November. No answer to that will come from the offices.