The Phoenix Suns forward is well on his way to being one of the few professional athletes to become a billionaire, having earned about $400 million in his career thus far.
In doing so, Durant would become one of the select few, following in the footsteps of greats like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, LeBron James, and Magic Johnson.
Among the many lucrative endorsement deals held by the power forward is a lifelong partnership he inked with Nike earlier this year.
This arrangement comes after Nike inked a staggering $300 million, 10-year pact in 2014.
Google, Alaska Air group, Beats by Dre, American Family Insurance, BBVA, Sparkling Ice, Panini, NBA 2K, Gatorade, Sonic Drive-in, Skullcandy, and Sprint are among the other companies that have struck sponsorship partnerships.
The big forward solidified his place in NBA history with two rings and two Finals MVP awards before making the contentious transfer from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
While in the Bay Area, he also dove headfirst into the world of tech investments.
Durant established rapport with influential Silicon Valley figures including Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen in addition to Google and Apple executives.
Along with his longtime manager Rich Kleiman, Durant established his investing arm Thirty Five Ventures in 2016.
In the time after, the company expanded its investment portfolio to include several major sports teams and early-stage startups.
аmоng Durаnt’s mаny spоrts investments аre the Philаdelphiа Uniоn оf Mаjоr Leаgue Sоccer, Gоthаm FC оf the Nаtiоnаl Wоmen’s Sоccer Leаgue, аthletes Unlimited, MLP, аnd the Premier Lаcrоsse Leаgue.
Also included are Yoshi, Rubrik, Postmates, Robinhood, Whoop, Coinbase, a $1.5 billiоn cryptocurrency company, and Weedmaps.
A large number of the agreements have experienced exponential growth in value, and the majority of the investments have been between $250,000 and $1 million.
Along with his work with the sports and culture media company Boardroom and his support for numerous movies centered around basketball, Durant is also an influential figure in the content space.
“You see the business of yourself first,” Durant told ESPN regarding his business philosophy.
“You have a clear vision of the self-presentation you wish to achieve, the narratives you wish to share, and the means by which you wish to see all things flourish.
Therefore, I made an effort to focus on my own affairs initially.
“Then I hired guys like [business partner] Rich [Kleiman], my financial guys, my foundation people that I’ve hired, just knowing that you can empower people to help push your vision.”
According to Durant, he is currently focusing more on investing in businesses and less on endorsement deals.
“There’s nothing wrong with them, but time is the most important thing to me,” he continues.
“And when you endorse a product, a lot of your time is taken away.”
Owning an NBA team is Durant’s ultimate dream.
If only I could afford it. “It’s insаne,” he exclaims.
Without a doubt, dealing with the money will be the most challenging aspect.
There are two outstanding groups that I have been a part of. I am well familiar with the game and all of the players.Plus, these NBA franchises have the power to truly impact people’s lives. Their cities transform. Of course, I’d be down with that.
“All the aspects of owning a team, I would love to be involved in – from the financial and marketing side to the team-building to the camaraderie to the coaching.”