Brooklyn Nets player and entrepreneur Kevin Durant has expanded his business portfolio by adding a professional New York sports team.
N.J./N.Y. Gotham FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has recently announced Durant’s Thirty Five Ventures (35V), which he co-founded with entrepreneur Rich Kleiman, have become minority investors of the team. Thirty Five Ventures has been involved with the franchise since March. They join fellow minority owners Kristin Bernert and Karen Bryant, who also joined in March. Carli Lloyd
became an investor last month in April.“As a New York-based company, the opportunity for us to partner with a forward-thinking team like Gotham FC was a no-brainer,” said 35V co-founder Kleiman in a written statement.
“There’s been so much growth in the NWSL in recent years, and the chance to be a part of that growth and work directly with the Gotham FC executive team and players is really exciting.”
“Bringing in Kevin, Rich and 35V as investors is a huge statement about the positive trajectory of our club,” said Tammy Murphy, club chair, Gotham FC.
“The level of enthusiasm they’ve displayed has been above and beyond anything we could have anticipated. We have tremendous aspirations this year both on and off the field, and, together with 35V’s support and resources, we’re going to make sure New Jersey and New York hear all about it!”
Durant and Kleiman’s investment will provide content creation, social media support, player relations, and community outreach. This adds to partnerships 35V has in women’s sports, including investment in media network Just Women’s Sports and a strategic partnership with pro sports league Athletes Unlimited. This is the company’s second investment in a professional soccer team after acquiring an ownership stake in Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union in June 2020.
The season-opening home game for Gotham FC will take place at Red Bull Arena on May 14 against Brazilian superstar Debinha
and the North Carolina Courage. The game will start at 7 p.m. EST and tickets can be purchased by visiting GothamFC.com.In March, the St. John’s Department of Athletics announced the first-ever collegiate partnership with Durant’s company, Boardroom, to further enhance the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) resources available to Red Storm student-athletes.