sport news Nets star Kevin Durant eyes potential bid for NFL's Commanders after growing up ... trends now
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant has joined the list of wealthy prospective buyers of the NFL's Washington Commanders, the football team he's rooted for since growing up in the Beltway.
'In a perfect world, I would be a part of it,' Durant told ESPN. '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 [Amazon CEO Jeff] Bezos and Jay-Z, but you never know.'
Durant ranks sixth on Forbes' list of the highest-earning athletes in 2022, with $92.8 million, including $42 million in salary and $50 million in off-court earnings. He now joins Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and rapper Jay-Z among those interested in purchasing the team from embattled owner Dan Snyder. Bezos and Jay-Z could put together a joint bid, according to ESPN. Byron Allen is also reportedly interested in the team after being outbid for the Denver Broncos earlier this year.
Snyder is considering selling the NFL franchise following years of controversy surrounding everything from the team name to accusations of sexual harassment. It remains unclear if he would sell the entire team or if he's just looking to add a minority partner.
Snyder has retained Bank of America to sell the Commanders, the club announced Wednesday.
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant has joined the list of wealthy prospective buyers of the NFL's Washington Commanders, the football team he's rooted for since growing up in the Beltway
Dan Snyder is considering selling the NFL franchise following years of controversy surrounding everything from the team name to accusations of sexual harassment. It remains unclear if he would sell the entire team or if he's just looking to add a minority partner
The 57-year-old billionaire already has four interested potential buyers, Forbes reports. The Commanders (4-4) are worth roughly $5.6 billion - sixth best among NFL teams - according to Forbes. Snyder bought the club for a reported $800 million in 1999.
A spokesman for the rapper and Snyder did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment.
'I mean, how long has he had it now -- 20-something years?' Durant said . 'He's probably the only owner I've known since I've been alive for the Redskins/Commanders. So it's definitely shocking to see him put them up because it's his baby. NFL teams are precious, they're important.
'But that's going to be a team that everybody -- everybody wants to be a part of the league. It's one of the most lucrative teams in sports, so I'm sure there's going to be a lot of bidders.'
Durant went on to describe the Commanders as an improving team surrounded by a top sports market.
'Our market is incredible,' Durant said. 'There's a lot of support in D.C., a lot of money in D.C. to be made. I feel like we drafted well the last couple years. We got some foundation pieces that can help you win football games moving forward. So yeah, I think it's an attractive destination. Regardless of what's going on, they pretty much built that team up, built that stadium, built the brand up pretty nicely.
'I know we've had some losing seasons, but it's starting to come around for us. I'm excited as a fan. I'm excited about the sale. I'm excited to see who they bring in and who they sell the team to and see how we move forward with it.'
NBA player Kevin Durant attends the game between the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins at MetLife Stadium on September 24, 2015 in East Rutherford
Durant is not a novice sports owner.
He bought a 5 percent stake in the MLS' Philadelphia Union, which nearly won the league cup on Sunday before falling to LAFC on penalties. He's also a minority owner of the NY/NJ Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League, and even recently bought into a professional pickleball team.
He's even mentioned the possibility of owning an NBA team in Seattle, where he began his career with the SuperSonics before the team moved to Oklahoma City in 2008.
But as he told ESPN, nothing would top owning the Commanders in his home town.
'I would probably stay more of a fan than try to get involved with the team,' Durant said about the possibility of becoming an owner. 'And it would be something nice for my family, and just to have in our family, that would be incredible to be a part of that group. Just get a little closer to the team if I were to be able to be in that position. Try to learn the business, try to learn from an ownership's perspective and a front-office perspective, coach's perspective, try to get closer to players.'
Durant did admit that he wouldn't be able to buy the team outright, and would likely need to be part of a group of investors.
'I don't have a lot of money, though,' he said. 'I don't have that much money to say, 'Look, man, let me get a piece of the team.' So I'm sure it would have to work out some way, somehow. I would love to, obviously, but to be honest, I doubt that it'll happen. It's a five-, six-billion-dollar team.'
Both Jay-Z and Jeff Bezos are also reportedly interested in buying Commanders from embattled owner Dan Snyder.
TMZ, which first reported the news, claims that a joint bid between the 52-year-Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter and the 58-year-old Bezos is 'on the table.'
Byron Allen is reportedly readying a bid to take control of the NFL's Washington Commanders
Both Jay-Z and Jeff Bezos are reportedly interested in buying the NFL's Washington Commanders from embattled owner Dan Snyder
Embattled Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder (pictured with wife, Tanya) is considering selling the NFL franchise following years of controversy surrounding everything from the team name to accusations of sexual harassment. It remains unclear if he would sell the entire team or if he's just looking to add a minority partner
A fan holds up a sign for CEO and founder of Amazon Jeff Bezos during a game between the New York Jets and Washington Redskins at FedExField on November 17, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. Bezos was linked to a potential sale at the time, but it never came to fruition
Both Jay-Z and Bezos were previously rumored to be interested in buying NFL teams, but instead made moves to partner with the league.
In 2019, the NFL announced a partnership with Jay-Z's Roc Nation to organize live performances at league games, such as the halftime show at the Super Bowl.
Bezos, who ranks among the world's richest men with an estimated net worth of $120 billion, owns Amazon, which bought the rights to Thursday Night Football for $1 billion per season.
An NFL spokesman did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's question asking if their existing deals with the league would preclude Jay-Z and Bezos from becoming team owners.
The Commanders are currently facing a litany of scandals, including a federal probe into allegations of financial malpractice. Previously, attorney generals in Virginia and Washington D.C. announced similar probes into claims that Snyder withheld refundable deposits from ticket holders and hid revenue from NFL teams.
News of a potential sale follows comments from Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay urging the NFL to remove Snyder as Commanders owner. Speaking at last month's league meetings in New York, Irsay said 'there's merit' to booting Snyder, who ranks as one of the least popular owners in professional sports.
For starters, the Commanders have been terrible since Snyder bought the club in 1999. Washington, a three-time Super Bowl winner and five-time NFL champion, has reached the postseason only six times over Snyder's tenure. The current head coach, Ron Rivera, is Snyder's 10th since taking control of the team.
The reference to the 'gold standard for workplaces in the NFL' is curious, given that the team is under investigation by Congress over sexual harassment and hostile workplace claims
A Washington Commanders fan holds up a sign before a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 30, 2022 in Indianapolis
A Washington Commanders fan looks on while wearing a sign that reads 'Sell The Team' during the second quarter between the Chicago Bears and the Washington Commanders at Soldier Field on October 13, 2022 in Chicago
The team's former minority owners consisted of FedEx Corp. CEO Fred Smith, Black Diamond Capital chairman Robert Rothman (right) and NVR Inc. board chairman Dwight Schar (left), who controlled a combined 40 percent stake worth roughly $1.4billion, according to Forbes' $3.4billion valuation in 2019. They have since sold their shares to Snyder amid a contentious breakup between the ownership group
FedEx Corp. CEO Fred Smith (pictured) thought he found a buyer for the Commanders in 2020, but the deal was never finalized because Snyder was refusing to sell at the time
Throughout Snyder's tenure, the team has been criticized for its now-former nickname, the Redskins, which is considered offensive to Native Americans.
The Washington team finally rebranded in 2022 as the Commanders after dropping its Redskins name in 2020 under a wave scrutiny following the George Floyd protests.
In 2021, Snyder bought out minority
