NBA star's soccer connection continues as PSG make a major announcement

Two-time NBA champion (2017, 2018), 2014 NBA MVP, and now PSG shareholder Kevin Durant has made further inroads into world football, with the club officially confirming that the Brooklyn Nets forward acquired a minority stake in the team through his media and investment firm, Boardroom, co-founded with longtime business associate Rich Kleiman, on Friday, June 20.

The deal was completed with Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), the majority shareholder of the Ligue 1 team.

PSG, without disclosing the financial details, confirmed that the agreement will consist of an extensive strategic partnership across content creation and commercial initiatives.

Durant, who remains an active NBA player with the Phoenix Suns, stated, “It is an honor to partner with QSI and be a shareholder in Paris Saint-Germain, a club and city that is deeply close to my heart.” PSG released an official statement containing these remarks.

The deal makes Durant as one of the few elite American athletes to hold ownership in a major European football club, and for PSG, this can take the club into a deeper footprint in the U.S. market, which the club has been targeting in recent years.

Moreover, the agreement gestures potential expansion in PSG’s multi-sport ambitions, with Durant expected to advise on future basketball-related plans. If the club proceeds with its hinted expansion into basketball, Durant’s expertise may prove critical.

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Nevertheless, this isn’t Durant’s first soccer investment.

Before Paris, there was another club

PSG isn’t Durant’s first investment into soccer; the four-time Olympic gold medalist bought a 5% stake in Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union in 2020, with an option to double that investment.

He joined a small group of U.S. sports stars with ownership stakes in MLS, including James Harden (Houston Dynamo) and Russell Wilson (Seattle Sounders) at that time.

However, the PSG deal is Durant’s first ownership link with a European club. In any case, his dual investments shows a growing trend where American athletes are leveraging capital and cultural influence to enter the global football ecosystem.

The announcement follows increasing discussion between the NBA, FIBA, and European partners regarding a potential new league on the continent.   

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