Saturday, 23 November 2024

Jack Kent Cooke

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Contributors 2024
"Guests party at Jean and Jack Kent Cooke's house" by Toronto History is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Sport(s): Basketball, Football & Hockey Owner
Statistics: 1 NBA Championship (1972)
3 Super Bowls (XVII, XXII & XXVI)
Jack Kent Cooke is one of the few owners to have won championships in more than one of the big four of North American sports.

A Canadian, Cooke’s first foray into sports ownership was in Toronto, where he bought the minor league Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team and was named the minor league executive of the year by the Sporting News. Cooke had designs on bigger and better things, and the media mogul moved to the United States.

Cooke bought 25% of the Washington Redskins in 1961 and was the majority owner in 1974. A sole owner by 1984, Washington won three Super Bowls under his ownership.

Cooke purchased the Los Angeles Lakers in 1965, where his teams went to seven NBA Finals and won the 1972 NBA Championship. The Lakers moved to The Forum, which he also bought. In L.A., Cooke was also the first owner of the Los Angeles Kings, one of the six expansions NHL teams that began operation in 1967. Cooke would sell the Forum, the Kings and Lakers to Jerry Buss in 1979.

Cooke is arguably the most successful sports franchise owner not to be in any major sports hall of fame.

We are proud to nominate Jack Kent Cooke for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.