Report: Kevin Durant's Desire to Own NBA Team Has 'Intensified' with Warriors

Kevin Durant has met with NBA owners and tech CEOs to gather information as he prepares to make an effort to purchase an NBA franchise once his playing career ends.

ESPN.com's Chris Haynes reported Durant's desire to own an NBA team has "intensified" since he joined the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

"This is a genuine goal of his after he retires, to add another African-American in the position of majority ownership," a source told Haynes.

Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan is the only black NBA majority owner and is the lone former player in that position. Jordan is unique because he has built a multibillion dollar shoe brand, something no other NBA player can claim. He is the richest athlete in history with an estimated net worth of $1.39 billion, according to Forbes.

Durant has made more than $157 million in salary during his playing career and has a Nike endorsement deal that could pay up to $300 million. Even if Durant doubles his career earnings before he retires—a relatively conservative estimate given increases in NBA salary—it would be near-impossible for him to purchase an NBA team based on those figures.

However, Durant has become engrossed in the tech industry since his arrival in Golden State and has made multiple investments in startups.

"We're paid for what we can do on the basketball court and most players know these paychecks are not going to come on the first and 15th for the rest of our lives," Durant said. "If we get a big sum of money, why not try to help it grow? That's what entrepreneurs and Fortune-500 CEOs do. They get a crop of money and they try to grow it. They get a product and they try to grow it. We're our own business. Why not try to control that and why not try to leverage that to provide a better life after you're done playing? That's what it's about."

If a couple of those investments pay off over the long term, Durant could be in a better financial position to become a majority owner of an NBA franchise.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James has also stated his desire to own a team. With any luck, James and Durant might up the African-American majority ownership stakes to three alongside Jordan—though both still have plenty of years on the court before that's a reality.