A strange story involving the Memphis Grizzlies, a billionaire tech founder, and Justin Timberlake has taken over NBA Twitter. According to an anecdote shared by Pablo Torre on The Dan Le Batard Show, Grizzlies majority owner Robert Pera allegedly became furious after a woman he met did not believe he owned the team and instead assumed Timberlake was the owner. The story goes further, claiming Pera then threatened to buy out the minority owners in response.
It sounds ridiculous, and it probably is in parts, but enough of the surrounding details are real that it has people asking questions. Here is what we actually know, what is alleged, and why Timberlake’s name is even involved in the first place.
Did Robert Pera Actually Threaten a Buyout of Minority Owners?
Grizzlies majority owner Robert Pera reportedly got furious and threatened to buy out the minority owners after a woman he met out didn’t believe he owned the team and thought Justin Timberlake did, per @PabloTorre
(Via @LeBatardShow ) pic.twitter.com/Qm92SbNpB8
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 27, 2026
The story about Pera comes from a media anecdote, not a document, a filing, or a confirmed transaction. No minority owner has publicly confirmed a buyout threat, nor do we have any credible reporting that this buyout is actually taking place.
Instead, what appears to have happened is that Torre shared a behind-the-scenes story meant to illustrate Pera’s personality and temperament, then turned it into a headline that reads like a corporate nuclear option.
That does not mean it is false. It just means there is no evidence that anything actually changed beyond a moment of anger.
Grizzlies Owner Net Worth and Why Robert Pera Is Sensitive About Ownership
Robert Pera is not a typical NBA owner. He made his fortune as the founder of Ubiquiti Networks and is consistently listed with a net worth in the $15–20 billion range, depending on market swings. That makes him one of the richest owners in professional sports, and easily one of the wealthiest in the NBA.
Pera bought the Grizzlies in 2012 for around $377 million. The franchise is now valued at well over $3 billion. Financially, he has been proven right for more than a decade. But Pera is also known for being private, detached from the spotlight, and very hands-on behind the scenes. He is not the type of owner most casual fans would recognize on the street, which is probably important for this story!
If you are a billionaire who owns a team but nobody believes you when you say it, that apparently hits a nerve. The alleged reaction, while extreme, fits the reputation of a controlling owner who does not enjoy being mistaken for a background figure.
Grizzlies Owner Robert Pera and His History With Minority Owners
This is where the story stops sounding completely made up.
The Grizzlies ownership structure has been messy before. In 2017, minority owners attempted to force a buy-sell provision that could have required Pera to either buy them out or sell his controlling stake. Pera eventually maintained control, but the episode made it clear that the ownership group was not always aligned.
This is why buyout threats are not some abstract concept here. The legal framework already exists, and Pera has both the money and the leverage to force changes if he wants to. Whether he actually did anything after this alleged incident is unknown, but the idea itself is not crazy in this specific ownership group.
Grizzlies Ownership Structure Explained
Robert Pera is the majority owner and controls the team. But the Grizzlies also have a long list of minority owners, including several Memphis-based investors and one extremely famous name: Justin Timberlake.
Timberlake joined the ownership group when Pera bought the team. His stake is small, but his public profile is massive. That combination is the entire reason this story exists. Most people recognize Timberlake. Almost nobody recognizes Robert Pera.
So if someone casually assumes the famous guy owns the team, it is technically wrong, but socially understandable.
Justin Timberlake Grizzlies Ownership and Why People Get Confused
Justin Timberlake has been publicly associated with the Grizzlies for over a decade. He attends games, appears in promotional material, and is often shown courtside. To casual fans, he looks like the owner.
He is not the majority owner. He does not control decisions. But he is visible, friendly, and famous. Pera is none of those things.
The alleged misunderstanding at the center of this story is the most believable part of it.
