Rising up within the tasks of Río Piedras in San Juan, Ozuna had hoop goals, taking part in on group courts till he after all approved he would by no means be tall sufficient to head professional. His more youthful brother José Ginés, alternatively, grew proper previous him and used to be ultimately drafted in 2020 to play within the territory’s premier basketball department: the BSN, or Baloncesto Awesome Nacional.
By way of then, Ozuna had left the tasks some distance at the back of and transform probably the most international’s best reggaetón stars. And in 2022, he changed into the only real proprietor of BSN’s Los Brujos de Guayama, an underfunded staff situated some distance from San Juan. Ozuna moved it to the larger town of Manatí and renamed it Osos de Manatí (the Manatí Bears, in a nod to his fondness for the animal). Inside a yr, it rose from remaining within the league to 2d position within the 2024 BSN championship.
“The ones gamers wanted a push from somebody who used to be being attentive to them in order that they’d know there are larger alternatives,” says Ozuna, who additionally employed his brother clear of a prior staff to play for Los Osos. “And I’m instructing them how you can set objectives and develop, and sure, possibly sooner or later get to the NBA.”
Ozuna is considered one of 3 large reggaetón artists who previously few years have got possession in native BSN groups in Puerto Rico. In 2021, Dangerous Bunny joined supervisor Noah Assad and Rimas government Jonathan Miranda in obtaining Los Cangrejeros de Santurce, and the similar yr, Anuel and his then-manager, Frabian Eli, bought Los Capitanes de Arecibo. Although Anuel and Eli have since break up up and ceded their staff possession, the 3 artists’ blended megastar energy has reinvigorated a languishing Puerto Rican basketball scene.
Whilst Ozuna put Los Osos at the map, Assad, Miranda and Dangerous Bunny actually revived Los Cangrejeros, who were on hiatus since 2016. “We have been approached via J.J. Barea, who mentioned he sought after to play his remaining seasons in entrance of his house fanatics in Puerto Rico,” Assad explains. Proudly owning the staff, he says, is differently for him, Miranda and Dangerous Bunny to deliver folks in combination. “Puerto Rico is all about circle of relatives. Simply having the staff has a favorable affect.”
Ozuna has now additionally purchased a minor league staff, and he has a construction staff the place children teach from 6 years previous till the juniors stage. “It’s like a basketball farm,” he says. “We have now about 160 children taking part in on 10 groups. We pay their shipping, their snacks. The imaginative and prescient is for them to understand they’ve to paintings in steps to make it giant. There’s numerous ability right here, but it surely wasn’t on show till we got here alongside.”
Different artists outdoor Puerto Rico are it appears following his instance. In January, Colombian rapper Ryan Castro introduced he used to be obtaining a vital stake in Paisas Basketball Membership, a certified staff in his place of origin of Medellín. “It’s some other aspect for us as marketers — supporting sports activities — for the reason that children within the barrios have the similar goals as us, the artists,” Castro tells Billboard. The similar month, Colombian reggaetón megastar Blessd got a stake in Vendsyssel FF, a Ecu 2d department football staff.
Castro says his impetus for making an investment in a staff got here from his personal love of the game, just like Ozuna, who admits he didn’t have the gear to make it giant himself. “Now I will do it for somebody else. However it’s now not about creating wealth. It’s about love for basketball.”
This tale seems within the Feb. 8, 2025, factor of Billboard.
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