Photo: Yong Teck Lim
Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant has expressed interest in being part of the Washington Commanders' potential new ownership group.
Durant, a native of Washington, D.C. and lifelong Commanders fan, addressed team owners Dan and Tanya Snyder's announcement that they hired Bank of America Securities to consider "potential transactions" last week, as well as reports that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and hip-hop legend turned entrepreneur Jay-Z were interested in a partnership to purchase the NFL franchise.
"In a perfect world, I would be a part of it," Durant told ESPN on Sunday (November 6). "I would love to do it. I would love to give a little bit of my money to be a part of the Commanders, but we'll see. Hopefully, it's somebody nice. I heard Bezos and Jay-Z, but you never know."
Durant, a former NBA regular-season MVP, and two-time NBA Finals MVP, has an estimated net worth of $92.1 million in career earnings, which ranked sixth among the world's highest-paid athletes, according to Forbes' list published in May.
The Snyders shared a statement announcing the statement acknowledging "potential transactions" in relation to the franchise on November 2.
"Dan and Tanya Snyder and the Washington Commanders announced today that they have hired BoA Securities to consider potential transactions," the Commanders said in a statement re-shared by CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones. "The Snyders remain committed to the team, all of its employees and its countless fans to putting the best product on the field and continuing the work to set the gold standard for workplaces in the NFL.
Bezos has long been rumored to have interest in purchasing an NFL franchise, specifically the Commanders, amid the ongoing investigation into franchise's alleged toxic workplace culture under Dan Snyder.
Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, previously had a stake in ownership of the Brooklyn Nets before Jay-Z, before launching his sports management company Roc Nation Sports.
Bezos currently ranks as the second-richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of $151 billion, according to Forbes.
Jay-Z has an estimated net worth of $1.3 billion, according to Forbes.
The Snyders' announcement came weeks after Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said "there's merit to remove" Snyder as owner of the Commanders during the 2022 Fall NFL Meeting on October 18, making him the first NFL team owner to publicly call for Snyder's removal, Front Office Sports' A.J. Perez reported at the time.
The franchise was also reported to be facing a criminal investigation launched by the U.S. attorney's office in the Eastern District of Virginia in relation to allegations that the team "engaged in financial improprieties," ESPN reported on Wednesday (November 2), citing two sources familiar with the situation.
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