Lee Kang-in (21, Paris Saint-Germain) shared a hug with basketball star Kevin Durant (35, Phoenix Suns), who has become a minority shareholder of PSG.
“Durant, a two-time National Basketball Association (NBA) champion, has invested in PSG with his company Bodrum Sports. He has purchased a minority stake in the club,” PSG announced on social media on Wednesday.
Durant even visited PSG’s training center in person. On its YouTube channel, PSG shared footage of Durant meeting and greeting PSG youth players, women’s team players, and men’s first team players. Durant was also presented with a jersey by PSG captain Marquinhos.
Lee also made a brief appearance, shaking hands and hugging Durant, who was all smiles. Lee is not a small man at 174 centimeters, but standing next to Durant, who is 211 centimeters tall, he was more than a head taller.
Durant is one of the NBA’s biggest superstars.
His salary for the upcoming season alone is reportedly over $51 million (approximately KRW 69.2 billion). He recently competed in the Paris 2024 Olympics, helping Team USA win the gold medal. By winning gold in four consecutive tournaments, Durant became the first player in Olympic men’s basketball history to win four gold medals.
Durant, who is a known PSG fan, even became a shareholder by buying some of the club’s stock. He already owns a 5% stake in the Philadelphia Union of the Major League Soccer 카지노사이트 추천 (MLS) and is a co-owner of NJ/NY Gotham of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
Durant has also invested millions of dollars in PSG. According to ESPN, “Durant’s involvement with PSG is aimed at further developing the PSG brand in the United States from a marketing and sponsorship perspective. In particular, the 2025 Club World Cup and the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States.”
By partnering with superstar Durant, PSG hopes to tap into the fast-growing soccer market in the United States. The club’s president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, is reportedly close to Durant. “We are honored to welcome Durant to the PSG campus. He is passionate about PSG and we are honored that he recognizes our facilities.”
The 2024-2025 season is an important one for PSG and for Lee.
The club will be entering a new era following the departure of Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid after seven years with the club. Much of PSG’s brand power has come from Mbappe, and they need to prove that they are a world-class team without him.
Lee faces stiff competition for the starting role. He bounced between the starting lineup and the bench last season, competing with the likes of Vitinha, Fabian, Jair Emery, and Ousmane Dembele. With the addition of João Neves and Desiree Doué, the second-year PSG player will need to step up his game.
Previously, Lee had received an offer from Saudi Arabia. According to France’s Foot Mercato, a Saudi team wants to make him the highest-paid player in the league. They want to pay him more than Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nasr), who earns €200 million a year.
Of course, this is only the Saudi’s wish, as Lee is one of PSG’s current and future stars. “PSG have kept the door closed on the sale of Lee,” said Foot Mercato. The player is happy in France and has no strong desire to leave.” Lee will continue to play for PSG in the upcoming season.