When Puerto Rico's last foray into professional soccer ended in 2012 with the organization dissolving, it was unclear when — or if — soccer on that level would return to the island.
But three years later — amid a backdrop of perhaps the worst economic period in the island's history — soccer in Puerto Rico got a second chance from a committed owner.
His name? Carmelo Anthony.
Yes, the NBA star with career earnings approaching $200 million made an investment that was as much about business savvy as it was about giving back. His purchase of an expansion franchise in the North American Soccer League was announced in 2015, and Puerto Rico FC began play in this year's fall season.
"To the thousands of soccer fans in Puerto Rico that have been waiting for soccer to come back, I can promise a world-class organization in a world-class league," Anthony said after he bought the team.
When Minnesota United plays at Puerto Rico on Saturday, the Loons will get a firsthand look at the early returns.
"It's not a short-term thing with Carmelo," team president Tom Payne said. "I asked him, 'why Puerto Rico?' He said he wanted to do something great for the island. He wants to lift the island and build the sport on the island."
Anthony, a soccer fan who is of Puerto Rican descent and has a charitable foundation that raises money on the island, still has his primary focus on his NBA career with the Knicks. But he is by no means an absentee owner.