Oakland Ballers Add Emmy, Grammy Winner to Ownership Group

The Oakland Ballers announced today that social impact ambassador and award-winning actor Blair Underwood will be joining the team's ownership group. The Ballers also recently announced that Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and Hip Hop Superstar & Entrepreneur Too $hort are joining the team. 

Last year, the Ballers launched a community investment round that led to over 2,200 fans investing in the team, which reached the fundraising goal of $1.234m in just nine days. The Ballers have now opened a second investment round that aims to raise $2m.

Blair Underwood’s entry into professional baseball may seem like it comes out of left field, but the esteemed actor, producer, director, author and philanthropist has quietly weaved his way into the social fabric of many homes and personal conversations for over 35 years through his body of work. 

“I truly appreciate the social fabric of inclusion that the Oakland Ballers are promoting through their love of baseball,” said Blair Underwood. “I was really attracted to the team’s approach to rebuilding under-resourced footprints and tackling an issue in The Town.

"Having served the City of Oakland for 20-plus years in the area of philanthropic concerns, it all aligned with my New Oakland initiative to bring alternative financing and fresh ideas to the City of Oakland.”

Underwood’s acting career also features significant baseball crossover which includes starring in the highly celebrated film ‘Soul of the Game’ in which he played Jackie Robinson. 

Underwood was also the first recurring African-American cast member on the hit television series ‘Sex In The City’, and broke barriers by playing “Stanley Kowalski” in a Broadway production of ‘Streetcar Named Desire’, a role previously made famous by Marlon Brando. 

“Blair Underwood is a champion of inclusion from the diamond to the street,” said Paul Freedman, Oakland Ballers co-founder. “His values are perfectly aligned with the community-driven approach that is championed by the Ballers and having him in the ownership group will add an authentic voice to our overall social conscience." 

Underwood is also an Emmy winner, earning the 2017 award for Outstanding Children's or Family Viewing Series for Give from the Daytime Emmys. He also won a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for the audiobook to "An Inconvenient Truth." He was also nominated for the 1991 Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in L.A. Law.

For more information about joining Underwood, Armstrong and $hort as owners of the Ballers, visit invest.oaklandballers.com.