Kroenke family shows off 2023 NBA title hardware at U.S. Open

Kroenke family shows off its latest championship hardware at U.S. Open

Josh Kroenke places the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy on a pedestal at the U.S. Open.

Staff Writer

June 18, 2023 9:37 PM PT

Josh Kroenke was steps from the first tee at Los Angeles Country Club on Sunday, inside the pro shop, when he pulled on a snug white glove.

Then he pulled on another.

He wasn’t about to tee off on the final day of the U.S. Open. He merely wanted to lift his latest prize, the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, presented to the newly minted NBA champion Denver Nuggets.

“I learned this from the Keepers of the Cup,” Kroenke said, referring to the five people who guard, protect and transport the Stanley Cup from one place to the next. “You always wear gloves.”

The Kroenkes are suddenly in the hardware business. In the last 1½ years, their teams have won the Super Bowl (Rams), Stanley Cup (Colorado Avalanche) and NBA championship (Nuggets). What’s more, their Colorado Mammoth won a title in the National Lacrosse League.

Stan Kroenke is best known in these parts as owner of the Rams and the person who dreamed up and created SoFi Stadium. His son, Josh, oversees the Nuggets and Avalanche and has gotten more involved with the Rams now that the NFL has done away with its cross-ownership restrictions.

Josh, an LACC member, rented out the pro shop to entertain guests at the U.S. Open, among them Rams coach Sean McVay, quarterback Matthew Stafford and retired tackle Andrew Whitworth.

On Sunday, Kroenke brought the O’Brien and Vince Lombardi trophies and had them transported to the members’ tent so people could pose for pictures with them.

At the end of the day, Colorado collected another trophy. Open winner Wyndham Clark is from Denver.