Kevin Durant has a host of accolades — the number two overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft, two consecutive NBA titles, and NBA MVP, just to name a few. Now he’s added business investor to his repertoire.
Durant ended 2019 on a high note by being listed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 class of 2020 list and gracing the cover of Forbes Special Issue edition which highlighted its 2020 class of 600 innovators spanning 20 industries. In a Forbes interview, Durant explained how he plans to capitalize on his NBA platform.
“The view of basketball and the NBA has widened so much that it puts us in a lot of different rooms and it’s on us to take advantage of where we are,” Durant said.
Durant has taken advantage of his platform with the development of Thirty Five Ventures, a company that is home to all of Durant’s — and his business partner, Rich Kleiman — business ventures in the areas of tech, sports, and culture. According to Forbes, Thirty Five Ventures employs 15 full-time hires and has allocated more than $15 million to over 40 startups. Of the 40 startups 70 percent of them have gone on to successfully raise their valuation and funding round capital.
During his time in the Bay Area, as a Golden State Warrior, Durant had the chance to meet with some of Silicon Valley’s top names which led to investments in Coinbase, Robinhood, Caffeine TV, Imperfect Food, Lime scooters among others.
“All the founders and investors come [to Warriors games], and you get to interact with and meet them,” Durant told Forbes. “They look like normal people, but they are changing the world so fast and have so much power.”
With his move to the Brooklyn Nets, Durant has his sights on expanding Thirty Five Ventures in New York. According to Forbes, Thirty Five’s 4,500 sq. ft. headquarters will be located in Chelsea, within walking distance from Durant’s loft. Kleiman spoke to Forbes about how the move to New York will affect Thirty Five Ventures.
“New York will be the culmination of the different communities Kevin’s touched, and it will take our company to the next level,” Kleiman said.