“Putting It All Back in a Community” – Kevin Durant Once Revealed Why He Invested in MLS Soccer Club Philadelphia Union

Sports fans always love it when famous personalities are linked with their club. Every soccer fan in the world wants the best owners to pull the strings at their club. In the past, we’ve seen quite a few NBA stars invest in soccer clubs.

One of them is NBA star Kevin Durant. Philadelphia Union, a Chester-based soccer based announced their partnership with Durant in 2020. It was a joyful sight for every soccer to see yet another NBA star invest in soccer.

Why did Kevin Durant invest in a soccer club?

CEO of Philadelphia Union, Jay Sugarman, was over the moon after bringing Durant on board. He said that Durant created an impression of a lifetime when he entered their office for the first time. Durant didn’t interact much with the players or the technical staff.

The NBA star got a chance to interact with the general office staff and he was the sweetest to them. Keeping in mind Durant’s reputation, almost everyone in the office wanted to take a picture with him. However, Sugarman revealed that Durant just never said no.

Sugarman revealed to ESPN, “That made a big impression on me, because that is the sort of the way we think about our community and the Union family. We’re all pulling for each other; we’re all trying to make things better. And you can just see he’s gonna fit in so powerfully into that idea.”

Durant said, “[The Union], they broke everything down, from what they wanted to do in the community, to the campus that they want to build in Chester, how they want to impact the youth leagues even more, and putting it all back in a community that is predominantly black”.

Durant joined the club from a philanthropy aspect too. The NBA star was proud to be the first black investor on board.

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However, Durant’s investment in the club was not only monetary. Durant has been a serial winner throughout his career. Sugarman was delighted that this attitude could be passed down to the players of the Philadelphia Union as well.

How much did Durant invest? Durant is not the first NBA star!

In 2020, the CEO of Philadelphia Union, Jay Sugarman announced that Durant was the newest investor on board. The American basketball pro acquired a 5% stake in the club. Durant’s 5% ownership stake in the team was worth $16.25 million, with the club having a value of nearly $325 million.

Kevin Durant was not the first NBA star to invest in a soccer club.

LeBron James and James Harden, two well-known basketball players, have ties to soccer clubs. In 2019, Houston-based soccer clubs, Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash announced that Harden had acquired a 5% stake in the franchise.

Similarly, LeBron James always had a dream of eventually owning a soccer team. He started working towards that goal in 2011 itself, when he acquired a minority stake in Liverpool F.C.

Apart from the NBA, the most recent famous American owners in the limelight are Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The American celebrity duo purchased Wrexham A.F.C., an ancient Welsh soccer club.

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Soccer’s popularity in America is gradually rising. In the next 10 years, do you think the sport will be valued at par with the NBA? Let us know in the comments below.