New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft says he's still very serious about getting Diddy into the NFL owner's fraternity ... telling TMZ Sports he really likes the hip-hop mogul.
Remember, Kraft was a big supporter of Diddy when he made a push to buy the Carolina Panthers back in 2017. The team was ultimately sold to hedge fund manager David Tepper.
So, when we saw Kraft at Michael Rubin's Fanatics Party in ATL on Saturday night, we asked if he thinks Diddy will ever actually accomplish his goal of buying an NFL team.
"I hope so," Kraft told us ... "I'm a big fan of his."
We then got Diddy a few hours later at Magic City and asked about the ownership situation -- he told us simply, "It's time."
Diddy has previously talked about the importance of having a black owner in the NFL. And, with reports that several NFL teams could be in the market for a new owner in 2019, Kraft's support of Diddy could play a big role.