S. Samuel
After recent chatter of rap mogul Jay-Z having his eyes set on NBA scoring sensation Kevin Durant, a highly anticipated deal has been struck making the Oklahoma City Thunder star the latest Roc Nation Sports addition.
While details are still coming together, Durant made sure to release an Instagram photo of everything going down.
The Thunder star Instagrams his signing with Roc Nation Sports. It’s official: Kevin Durant is the newest member of the Roc Nation family. The Oklahoma City Thunder superstar posted a photo on his Instagram account of himself and Jay-Z signing the paperwork to make his agency change official. Durant is just the latest member of an impressive roster of clients Jay-Z has built up since jumping into the agency game, which includes Robinson Cano and Geno Smith. (USA Today)
The news comes days after Jay became officially licensed and allowed to sign Roc Nation Sports prospects.
And yesterday, the Sports Business Journal revealed that he won’t have to do it through Creative Artists Agency, the sports agency that Roc Nation partnered up with back in April. That’s because, as of this week, Jay-Z is officially licensed to be an NBA agent. So he will be able to sign new clients and negotiate on their behalf moving forward. All of that being said, it’s still a little unclear how soon Jay-Z will actually sign his first client (who, by the way, is widely rumored to be Kevin Durant). A source who spoke with ESPN.com yesterday revealed that Jay is still holding onto a small stake in the Brooklyn Nets, which means that he cannot serve as an NBA agent just yet due to an NBA rule that says team owners cannot be agents. But as soon as he unloads his stake in the Nets, he’ll be free to start signing players immediately. (Complex)
Earlier this month, buzz about Jay possibly signing the NBA star to his growing team surfaced.
Kevin Durant could be moving on to the next one…agent that is. The Oklahoma City Thunder star is leaving Landmark Sports and could join Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports, according to SportsBusiness Journal’s Liz Mullen. Mullen also tweeted a brief comment from Landmark Sports president, NBA agent Rob Pelinka, who said, “We are honored & blessed to have worked on behalf of Kevin for a brief period of time.” Roc Nation did not comment on the possibility of signing Durant. Jay-Z still owns shares of the Brooklyn Nets, which would prohibit him from representing Durant as an agent. (New York Daily News)
A league source recently offered a take on why KD may want to link with Hovi.
In the new age of brand marketing and social media, teaming up with a pop culture icon is one of the best ways for an athlete to increase his or her public image. “KD doesn’t want a traditional NBA agent anymore,” a league source told Yahoo! Sports. “He wants Jay-Z to handle his branding. …He had a chance to be with his idol and couldn’t say no.” (Sporting News)
Back in April, Jay issued an official statement about relinquishing his ownership in the Brooklyn Nets.
“Being a member of the Nets organization surpassed some of my greatest ambitions. It was never about an investment; it was about the NETS and Brooklyn. My job as an owner is over but as a fan it has just begun. I’m a Brooklyn Net forever. It’s been an honor to work with Mikhail Prokhorov, Dmitry Razumov, Christophe Charlier, ONEXIM Sports and Entertainment, Brett Yormark and all the wonderful people involved in making the Nets first class. My sincerest thanks goes to Bruce Ratner, who first introduced the idea of moving the Nets to Brooklyn. A thank you and deepest appreciation goes to the fans. You are the lifeblood of any team.” (Life + Times)
