One of the most popular sports figures ever says he’ll be part of a bid for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

And though he’s never played professional baseball, he says he’s gone to lots of Dodgers games and is a big fan of the team.

"Magic Johnson wants to buy the Dodgers, putting one of Los Angeles’ most beloved sports figures in pursuit of the city’s cherished baseball team," reports the Los Angeles Times’ Dodgers blog.

The story adds, "Johnson announced his bid in an interview [today] Friday with Times columnist Bill Plaschke.’ "I love baseball,’ Johnson told Plaschke. ‘I’ve been a Dodgers fan and gone to the park many, many times.’ "

The story adds, "Johnson would be the face of a high-powered ownership group that would include Stan Kasten, the former president of the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals, and Mark Walter, chief executive of Guggenheim Partners, a financial services firm that controls over $125 billion in assets. The firm is headquartered in Chicago and New York, with an office in Los Angeles."

The story notes: "Other prospective Dodgers bidders include Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Southland baseball executive Dennis Gilbert, Los Angeles developers Rick Caruso and Alan Casden and former Buffalo Sabres owner Tom Golisano.Former Dodgers stars Steve Garvey and Orel Hershiser are trying to form a bid group, as is former Dodgers General Manager Fred Claire."

As previously reported, Larry King will be part of the bid by Gilbert.

According to The Hollywood Reporter’s account of the potential Johnson bid, "Johnson’s ownership of the Dodgers would be historic: No Major League Baseball franchise has ever been owned by a black person, though there have been a few teams with black limited partners. It would be fitting for the Dodgers organization to be the first to achieve that milestone — the franchise was the first in Major League Baseball to integrate when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947."