Stephen Curry isn’t the only member of the Warriors with aspirations of owning a professional sports franchise.
Kevin Durant’s desire to own an NBA team has “intensified” according to ESPN’s Chris Haynes. After his playing career is over, Durant wants to become just the second African-American majority owner in the league, joining Michael Jordan who currently owns the Charlotte Hornets.
“This is a genuine goal of his after he retires, to add another African-American in the position of majority ownership,” a source told Haynes.
This report comes less than a week after Curry reiterated his interest in a minority ownership stake with his hometown Carolina Panthers, who have been put up for sale by longtime owner Jerry Richardson. Curry first threw his name out in a tweet on December 17, responding to Sean “Diddy” Combs’ claim that he would like to buy the team.
This is the first we’ve heard of KD’s interest in ownership, but Durant has been very active in investments and shown interest in the tech industry since moving to the Bay Area, clearly thinking about life after basketball.
“We’re paid for what we can do on the basketball court and most players know these paychecks are not going to come on the first and 15th for the rest of our lives,” Durant told Haynes. “If we get a big sum of money, why not try to help it grow? That’s what entrepreneurs and Fortune-500 CEOs do. They get a crop of money and they try to grow it. They get a product and they try to grow it. We’re our own business. Why not try to control that and why not try to leverage that to provide a better life after you’re done playing? That’s what it’s about.”
LeBron James has also expressed interest in NBA ownership after his playing career is over.