Jay-Z’s last venture into the world or professional sports – specifically as a part owner of the New Jersey Nets – seemed to have…bored him to some degree. Not even a year after his Nets switched over from Jersey to Brooklyn, Jay-Z has decided to move on to the world of talent management as he opens up Roc Nation Sports. Since its opening, Jay-Z has managed to sign some notable professional athletes like Victor Cruz, Robinson Cano, Geno Smith, and women’s basketball phenom Skylar Diggins, but today the fast-growing and trendy firm has just added Kevin Durant, who is without question one of the best players in the NBA and gives Roc Nation even more credibility in the industry.
It’s been just a few hours since Durant’s inked a deal with Jay-Z’s crew, but what could this mean for the future of Kevin Durant the brand? Jay-Z is one of the shrewdest pop-culture marketing strategists of our generation, so that could spell big, big bucks for Durant and his personal business endeavors off-the-court. For his sports-related involvements, namely his signature shoes with Nike, the “cool factor” should definitely give him a nice boost, which comes at a perfect time seeing that the Nike KD 6 is ready to launch in about two weeks. Durant’s signing also has us wondering about the future of Roc Nation in the NBA and if Jay-Z’s friendship with LeBron could eventually become a professional partnership in the future. Your thoughts on KD joining Roc Nation? Does his affiliation with HOV do anything for his signature shoe line or anything else KD puts his name on? Let us know in the comments below.
Picture above: Jay-Z, Kevin Durant, and Carl Lentz – Head Pastor of Hillsongs NYC.