Joseph Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, the owners of the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty, are set to divorce, according to a statement shared with multiple outlets.
The couple’s relationship has “evolved into more of a partnership, one of running their businesses and raising their children together” in recent years, according to the statement shared with Sportico and Page Six. The statement added that the divorce is “amicable” and that the partnership will remain “strong” and “professional.”
The split will not affect the couple’s ownership stakes or roles within the teams and parent company Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment (BSE), which was owned and founded by the Tsais. Joseph Tsai will continue to be the chairman of BSE and the governor of the Nets, and Clara Wu Tsai will remain the vice chair of BSE and governor of the Liberty.
“They will continue to own and be stewards of the teams with professional management in place as they always have,” the statement said.
Per the statement, the long-term plan is to involve their three grown children in the business. The Tsais have been married since 1996, and have three children, Jacob, Alex and Dash.
Joe and Clara Wu Tsai with their children after the Liberty won the WNBA championship in 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)
Joe Tsai, a cofounder and chairman of Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba, currently resides in Hong Kong, while Clara Wu Tsai lives in the United States.
The Tsais, then Nets minority owners, bought the Liberty in January 2019, purchasing the team from James Dolan and Madison Square Garden Entertainment. In September, the Tsais became full owners of the Nets after reaching a deal with then-controlling owner Mikhail Prokhorov.
The pair oversaw the Liberty’s permanent relocation to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, after multiple seasons in White Plains, New York, and the team’s first WNBA championship in 2024.
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