LOS ANGELES • Pop superstar Beyonce has something missing from her resume. Unlike, say, rivals Justin Timberlake and Jennifer Lopez, she has no ownership stake in a professional sports team. But she is now mulling over an investment in the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets team, said people familiar with the matter.

Rockets owner Les Alexander said last month he was selling the team, whose roster includes All-Stars James Harden and Chris Paul, amid a surge in franchise values across sports.

The club's popularity in China may push the sale price past the record US$2 billion (S$2.7 billion) Mr Steve Ballmer paid for the Los Angeles Clippers, another NBA franchise, three years ago.

Mr Alexander paid US$85 million for the Rockets in 1993.

It is common for celebrities to make small investments in sports teams. Beyonce's husband, Jay-Z, once held a less than one per cent stake in NBA club Brooklyn Nets. He sold his share after starting Roc Nation, which represents athletes.

Pop star Timberlake, a native of Memphis, Tennessee, owns a piece of NBA team Grizzlies. Tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, as well as Lopez, are investors in American football's Miami Dolphins.

The Rockets declined to comment on the matter, while Beyonce's publicist did not immediately respond to an e-mail message seeking comment.

Beyonce, who has performed wearing a Rockets jersey, would add superstar sizzle to any ownership group, likely helping the team with local and international marketing.

She is one of the most influential celebrities, according to the Marketing Arm's Celebrity DBI database. She ranks 150th out of more than 4,000 celebrities and is particularly effective in reaching out to women aged between 13 and 17.

BLOOMBERG