The Legendary NBA Player Who Owns A Bunch Of Blaze Pizza Restaurants

Blaze Pizza is a hidden-gem pizza chain known for its special crust and made-to-order approach to artisanal pizza. Plus, it's one of a few fast-casual restaurant chains that serves alcohol. But perhaps one of the most talked-about aspects of this underrated restaurant is LeBron James and the extent of his ownership. While the legendary NBA player does not own the entire chain, he has made a significant investment in it. Today, he is considered a partial owner with an equity stake of $35 to 40 million. And on top of that, he personally owns 19 locations.

But what led so many people to believe he was the owner? It turns out James has been heavily involved with Blaze Pizza since the chain's beginning. And while he doesn't own the whole thing, he did play a major part in the chain's success. In addition to his financial investments, James' leverage and fanbase helped guide the fledgling pizza place into the public eye.

In 2011, Wetzel's Pretzels founders Rick and Elise Wetzel opened a new fast-casual chain called Blaze Pizza. Soon after, in 2012, NBA player LeBron James opened two Blaze Pizza locations of his own — one in Miami and one in Chicago — investing $1 million in his Blaze Pizza franchises along with business partner Maverick Carter and financial advisor Paul Wachter. 

At the time, James had a long-running endorsement deal with McDonald's, preventing him from endorsing his own franchises. So rather than renewing that endorsement, which would have earned him $15 million, he cut ties with the clown and chose to invest in Blaze Pizza instead. It ended up being a great move on his part. Industry insider and franchise analyst The Wolf of Franchises values James' equity stake at over $35 million. 

By 2017, Blaze was the fastest-growing restaurant chain ever. According to Forbes, James had 91 million followers on social media at the time, so his ability to promote Blaze Pizza was immense. His influence helped get customers in the door, many of whom tried the chain out solely due to LeBron James' involvement. Thankfully, the chain's delicious pizza crust and unique pizza toppings have led many customers to return too.