After a tumultuous offseason highlighted by his table-shaking trade demand to the Brooklyn Nets, franchise star Kevin Durant will return to the Nets lineup on October 3 against their conference rival Philadelphia 76ers.
As Durant prepares to handle business on the court, business is picking up off the court as well. Last week, it was announced that the Nets star and his business partner Rich Kleiman are part of an investment group that will fund $30 million into the rising sports league, Athletes unlimited. The Nets star further explained his investment in a statement released on September 29.
“We have been advisors for AU since the very beginning, and we’re excited to be a part of this capital raise,” Durant said of the partnership in a statement.
“Athletes Unlimited is at the forefront of women’s sports and an inspiration for how sports leagues can thrive with an athlete-first business model.”
“Every pro sports league should take note of what AU is doing,” Durant’s agent and business manager Rich Kleiman added. “Especially the pathway for athletes to have a financial stake in their own leagues.”
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Durant Ready To Move On From Trade Demand
Durant shocked the NBA world on June 30 when he made his trade demand to Nets owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks. It was even more shocking because Durant had inked a 4-year, $198 million max extension with the franchise last summer that kicks in this season.
Despite his decision to remain with the franchise, there have been continuous inquiries about Durant’s trade request, as many questions have been left unanswered. But the Nets star says he is ready to move on from all of it.
“Can we move on past that at some point?” Durant asked reporters after Nets practice on September 30 via ESPN. “I know it’s an interesting story. I know that it took up most of the offseason, and drama sells, I get that, but I didn’t miss any games, I didn’t miss any practices, and I’m still here. So hopefully we can move past that.”
Durant Says He Was ‘Upset’ With Nets
Durant and the Nets were in a tug of war for the majority of the NBA off-season. He wanted out of Brooklyn, and although the Nets had agreed to honor his trade request, they refused to pull the trigger on a potential deal without being fairly compensated for an athlete of his caliber.
The battle between the two sides even came to a point where the franchise player demanded owner Joe Tsai fire general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash if the Nets wanted him to return.
Durant says that during the negotiations, he was “upset” with the organization, but the two sides were able to lick their wounds and move on.
“I was upset,” Durant added. “And as a family, they understood that I was upset, some of the stuff they agreed with. So, we talked about it, and it was over a couple of months, a couple of weeks, towards the end of that where we talked about it. We came out and we voiced all our concerns about how we all can be better. And it just worked out from there, and I’m glad I’m here now.”
The Nets return this season ready to debut their All-Star trio of Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons. This could be the season they finally put it all together.
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Nets Star Kevin Durant Unveils Major Announcement