It has been a very busy last few months for Everton, as they had a major ownership takeover when Houston-based The Friedkin Group bought the club from Farhad Moshiri.
Since that move, the Friedkin's sacked Sean Dyche and brought in David Moyes as the new manager for the club, which has sparked a turnaround on the pitch and saved Everton from yet another relegation battle.
With a move to their brand new stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock starting next season, there's plenty of optimism around the club, as they look to complete the season as far up the table as possible.
But this morning there was another bit of news that came out about the ownership group, which has added another member from a rather unlikely source.
The club announced that former NBA player, and current head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, Jason Kidd, will join Everton as a partial owner. While there is no indication what Kidd's stake will be or what, if any, role he will play at the club, the news continues to add to Everton's status in the United States.
In response to the news, the 10-time NBA All-Star and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, who played nineteen seasons in the league with Dallas, the New Jersey Nets, Phoenix Suns, and New York Knicks, said, “I’m honoured to be joining Everton’s ownership at such an important moment: with a new stadium on the horizon and a bright future ahead, it’s a great moment to come on board.”
The move certainly seems to have come from out of nowhere, but Kidd's longtime relationship with Texas, having played there for eight years and now coached there for four, is a strong connection to the Friedkins.