Phoenix Suns-Superstar Kevin Durant made an investment in Paris Saint-Germain Football Club with a view to the possible creation of a PSG basketball team.

According to Adam Crafton and Joe Vardon Athletics is expected to serve as a consultant on PSG’s potential expansion in basketball as part of its investment.

If PSG does start a basketball team, it is expected to be part of NBA Europe, which is a concept for a European league developed by NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

Durant released the following statement on its stake in PSG, which is mainly owned by Qatar Sports Investments:

“It is an honor to work with QSI and be a shareholder in Paris Saint-Germain-a club and a city that is so close to my heart. This club has big plans ahead and I can’t wait to be part of the next phase of growth; and to investigate new investment opportunities with QSI.”

Per Crafton and Vardon, Durant already had a ‘single-digit million shareholding’ in PSG that was previously through its investment firm Council Hall.

Durant now has a ‘direct minority interest’ in PSG, along with business partner Rich Kleiman, and his new investment is ‘about the same as before’.

PSG has dominated the French football staff over the past few years and won each of the past four Ligue 1 titles, seven of the past eight and 11 of the past 13.

Although PSG lost Superstar forward Kylian Mbappé against Real Madrid after the 2023-24 season, Parisians somehow became even more successful, winning their first UEFA Champions League title this year in a 5-0 route of Inter Milan and secured the continental treble.

In Europe, it is commonplace that large football and basketball teams are under the same ownership of the same name, such as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

This is not yet the case for PSG, as the Paris-based team in the euroleague is only known as Paris basketball.

Crafton and Vardon noted that the athletics reported in March about Silver’s plans to set up the NBA Council of Governors, an NBA possession and the professional league in Europe, including new teams and potentially teams of the euroleague.

Since then, euroleague CEO Paulius Motiejunas has publicly suggested that he would rather work with the NBA than to oppose it and say, “It becomes clearer that we must work together.”

If PSG does create a basketball team, it is unclear what it would mean for Paris basketball, because it is not yet clear whether the euroleague would exist with NBA Europe.

Durant’s name carries a lot of weight in the basketball world, as he is a 15-time all-Star, four-time point champion, two-time NBA champion, the two-time NBA final MVP and one-time NBA MVP, plus the league’s eighth lead of all time.

With Durant taking on a more substantial and visible role in PSG, it could possibly be a long way to bridge the gap between football and basketball for the club.