NBA Megastar Becomes Latest High-Profile Soccer Team Owner

NBA icons LeBron James and Kevin Durant are also minority owners in European clubs.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s father was a professional soccer player. | Gary Dineen/NBAE/Getty Images

NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo announced he’s joined the ownership group of Chelsea Women with the goals of supporting women’s sport and “pushing the game to new heights.”

The 2021 NBA finals MVP joins friend and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in the club’s ownership group. The latter purchased a 10% stake in the eight-time Women’s Super League (WSL) champions last year for around £20 million ($27.2 million).

How much Antetokounmpo paid to invest in Chelsea Women and the size of his stake has yet to be confirmed, but the Milwaukee Bucks forward did pen a message on social media to announce his head-turning new venture.

I'm proud and honored to partner with my friend @alexisohanian, joining the ownership group of @ChelseaFCW, a historic club built on passion, excellence, and a winning culture. Chelsea’s history speaks for itself, and I’m excited to contribute to the future by supporting… pic.twitter.com/LEzNakL9Rd

— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) February 8, 2026

“I’m proud and honored to partner with my friend Alexis Ohanian, joining the ownership group of  Chelsea Women, a historic club built on passion, excellence and a winning culture,” Antetokounmpo said on X.

“Chelsea’s history speaks for itself, and I’m excited to contribute to the future by supporting continued growth and impact in women’s sport. This is about ambition, legacy and pushing the game to new heights. Up the Chels!”

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Antetokounmpo No Stranger to Soccer Ownership

Giannis Antetokounmpo (center) is one of many big-name investors in MLS clubs. | Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Antetokounmpo’s investment in Chelsea Women is not the 31-year-old’s first venture into the soccer world. Back in 2023, the NBA champion, along with his brothers Thanasis, Kostas and Alex, joined Nashville SC’s ownership group.

When he completed the deal, Antetokounmpo couldn’t help but wax lyrical on his connection to the game. “My father was a professional soccer player, and it was the first sport I fell in love with in Greece. I’ve always had the dream of owning a soccer team.”

Antetokounmpo made that dream come true with the MLS outfit, and now three years later, he’s added Chelsea Women to his diverse portfolio. Ohanian publicly welcomed his friend to the club’s ownership group with an old picture of the two-time NBA MVP in the dressing room at Stamford Bridge.

Welcome home my friend! https://t.co/ylGZrWXD8d pic.twitter.com/uw4Bj0uqje

— Alexis Ohanian 🗽 (@alexisohanian) February 8, 2026

Antetokounmpo now gets to root for the reigning WSL champions, who currently sit third in the table, 12 points off league-leaders Manchester City. The team’s next match comes on Feb. 15, when they host a struggling Liverpool side.

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Antetokounmpo One of Many U.S.-Based Stars Investing in European Soccer

LeBron James invested in Liverpool back in 2011. | Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC/Getty Images

The standard for big names investing in clubs across Europe was set by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney back in 2021. The two Hollywood stars purchased Wrexham, the oldest team in Wales, and have since taken the Red Dragons from National League purgatory to the EFL Championship, where they are eyeing a record fourth-consecutive promotion to the Premier League.

Two years later, seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady acquired a minority stake in English outfit Birmingham City. The Blues were crowned EFL League One champions last season and returned to the Championship in 2025–26.

Four-time NBA champion LeBron James may very well have started the trend, though, back in 2011 when he invested in Liverpool. Fellow NBA phenom Kevin Durant is also a minority shareholder of reigning French and European champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Antetokounmpo will hope to emulate the success of his fellow athletes and owners with Chelsea Women, while Nashville SC gear up for the rapidly approaching 2026 MLS season.

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