Five things to know about Jerry Colangelo, leader of Las Vegas Jacks’ NBA expansion bid

Jerry Colangelo, 86, a longtime sports executive, is leading the effort to secure an NBA expansion franchise for Las Vegas. His career includes ownership stakes in the Phoenix Suns, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Mercury and a role in bringing the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes (now the Utah Mammoth) to the desert in 1996. Below are five key facts about his background and accomplishments. **Early NBA experience** Colangelo began his NBA career in 1966 with the Chicago Bulls, working as a sales director, scout and assistant to the president. He departed after two years to become the general manager of the expansion Phoenix Suns. At age 28 he was the youngest GM in professional sports at that time. **Saving the franchise** After 19 years with the Suns, Colangelo assembled an investment group and bought the team for $44.5 million in 1987. He served as managing partner until 2004, when he sold his interest to former owner Robert Sarver for $401 million—a record price for the franchise at that moment. **Arena football involvement** Colangelo owned the Arena Football League’s Arizona Rattlers from 1992, when they were an expansion team, through 2004. In 1997 the Rattlers captured the AFL championship, defeating the Iowa Barnstormers in Arena Bowl XI. The Barnstormers were quarterbacked by Kurt Warner, who left the AFL for the NFL the following season, built a lengthy NFL career and later guided the Arizona Cardinals to their first Super Bowl appearance in 2009. **UNLV connection** In 1987 Colangelo guided the Suns through a cocaine scandal in which three current and two former players were indicted on drug‑related charges. One of the implicated Suns players was Grant Gondrezick, the younger brother of former UNLV standout and former NBA player Glen Gondrezick. Grant later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge, entered rehabilitation and, at the time, was a member of the Los Angeles Clippers. **Rapid expansion success** Colangelo was instrumental in bringing MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks to Phoenix as an expansion team in 1998. The club won its sole World Series under his ownership in 2001, during the team’s fourth season, beating the New York Yankees 4‑3 in a seven‑game series. For further information, contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702‑387‑2920. Follow @mickakers on X.