An unscripted transition from actress to pro owner makes for an interesting tale.
Thirty years ago, Jami Gertz was a familiar face on TV and in films. She played various roles, including starring in the cult film, The Lost Boys (Warner Bros. 1987).
That was then. Today, she and her husband (with others) own the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks.
Ressler and Gertz (Charley Gallay, Getty Images for LACMA)
Gertz is married to Tony Ressler, a private equity specialist based in Beverly Hills, CA. He co-founded Apollo Global Management (1990) and Ares Management (1997). With financial success secure, Ressler and Gertz wanted to expand their talents into the sports world. They tried but failed to purchase a local franchise, the LA Clippers.
Soon thereafter, NBA superstar Grant Hill gave them a call. Hill explained that the team would be going up for sale. Ressler and Gertz jumped at the opportunity, and the group Ressler led made the high bid at auction. The year was 2015.
The 2016-17 season was promising with 43 wins, but a dry spell followed (only between 20-29 wins a year over the four years that followed) … until this year. Led by young stud Trae Young, the 41-32 Hawks (#5 in the Eastern Conference) are in the NBA Playoffs. They’ll face #4 NY Knicks in the first-round
It’s an exciting time for Jami Gertz, who is a minority owner of the team. Here’s a photo of her at the 2018 NBA Draft lottery event.
From the screen to the court: that’s the Jami Gertz story.
NBA.com
