NBA star Kevin Durant has become a minority shareholder in Paris Saint-Germain, with the deal being finalised whilst the baller was in Paris for the Olympics.
Durant bought the stake through Arctos Sports Partners – the American investment fund that purchased a 12.5% stake in the Parisian club last year. This isn’t his first foray into the world of football, though. He became a minority owner of the MLS’ Philadelphia Union back in 2020, adding ‘club owner’ to his long list of titles and accolades.
Durant’s investment in the club was a strategic one on the part of ASP, hoping to heighten the profile of French giants in the United States ahead of a busy decade of football across the pond. With the USA hosting the Club World Cup in 2025, the 2026 World Cup and the Olympics in 2028, the time is now to capitalise on football fever, and what better way to do that than through one of the country’s most popular athletes?
KD joins a number of other NBA stars in football club ownership outside of the States, including Lebron James and Russell Westbrook – minority owners in Liverpool and Leeds, respectively.
The game is growing at an incredible rate in the United States, and with the country’s biggest names leading the way, the gap between basketball and football in America and abroad just keeps getting smaller.