From the Court to the Boardroom: How Kevin Durant Built a Blueprint Bigger Than Basketball.
Written By: Brandon Pulmano
Founder | Sideline Society Media
There was a time when the blueprint for athlete success ended at max contracts and signature sneakers. But then came Jay-Z turning cultural influence into ownership and showing that the real power play happens off the stage. Years later, Kevin Durant along with many other athletes isn’t just following that blueprint he’s evolving it alongside his longtime business partner Rich Kleiman.
They are building a platform that stretches far beyond basketball through 35 Ventures (35V), a firm managing over 100 investments across tech, media, and sports. This includes early stakes in companies like Coinbase, Postmates, and Acorns, positioning themselves not just as participants in culture but as stakeholders in where it’s going.
At the center of it all is Boardroom, which is 2a media platform that doesn’t just cover the business of sports but represents a shift in power where athletes no longer wait to be covered. They build platforms to control their own narratives, extending their reach into film and television with projects like Swagger and the Oscar winning Two Distant Strangers.
It really shows that today’s athlete isn’t just the subject of storytelling but the producer, owner, and distributor of it. While their investments in sports ownership including stakes in Philadelphia Union, Gotham FC, and Athletes Unlimited signal a deeper shift toward influence over the game itself where equity becomes the ultimate form of power.
Behind it all is Rich Kleiman operates as the architect. He blends experience from music, media, and talent management. He connect business, creativity, and culture. Together he and Kevin Durant haven’t just built a portfolio. They’ve created a model for the modern athlete. Ownership replaces endorsements. Visibility becomes leverage. Cultural influence turns into a long term asset. Because Durant didn’t just follow Jay-Z’s blueprint.
He evolved it.
In this era, legacy isn’t only defined by what you do in the game.
It’s defined by what you build beyond it.
And how long it lasts after you’re gone.
Rich Kleiman on the Pivot Podcast discussing his early stages of childhood, adolescence, and forming a life long partnership with Kevin Durant.
Here is a link to Kevin Durant’s website for more info on his ventures.
Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman 2 years ago on the Boardroom in an exclusive unfiltered interview.
