Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has added a new title to his résumé: soccer club owner. The Oklahoma City Thunder star has joined Atlético de Madrid's ownership group, buying a stake in the Spanish club whose size and price tag have not been made public.
Thunder Star Buys In, Terms Stay Private
According to Atlético de Madrid's own announcement, Gilgeous-Alexander has officially joined the club's ownership ranks, with the Thunder guard saying, “I'm excited to officially join Atlético de Madrid's ownership group.” As reported by News On 6, the move makes him a part-owner of the Spanish soccer club, though neither side has disclosed how much he paid or how large his share is. The club described the arrangement as reflecting shared values of ambition, excellence and a commitment to earning success.
Per The Athletic, Gilgeous-Alexander bought a small stake in the club, but Atlético Madrid has not disclosed the investment's exact value or size. Atlético said his interest reflects an attraction to the club's long-term vision and international growth, and he reportedly wore the club's red-and-white colors before the ownership announcement went public.
A Résumé Built for the Spotlight
The timing lines up with a monster individual season for Gilgeous-Alexander. He is a back-to-back NBA MVP, the 2025 NBA champion and the 2025 Finals MVP after helping lead Oklahoma City to the title, per the club's announcement. During the 2025-26 season, he averaged 31.1 points per game while shooting 55.3 percent from the field, becoming the first guard in NBA history to average at least 30 points while shooting 55 percent or better.
He also broke an NBA scoring-streak record last season, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain's 126-game mark for consecutive regular-season games with at least 20 points and extending his own streak to 140 games by season's end, Atlético noted in its release. Atlético Madrid, for its part, has won La Liga 11 times, most recently in 2021, according to the same report from The Athletic.
A Club Already Mid-Transition
Gilgeous-Alexander's arrival comes on the heels of a bigger ownership shake-up at the club. Apollo Sports Capital completed its investment to become Atlético de Madrid's majority shareholder on March 12, 2026, according to a GlobeNewswire release. The Quantum Pacific Group retained substantially all of its previous stake and became the club's second-largest shareholder as part of that deal, and shareholders approved an increase of equity and strategic capital of up to an additional €100 million.
Atlético's own announcement of the Apollo transaction noted the deal was subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and was expected to close in the first quarter of 2026 — financial terms of that transaction were likewise not disclosed.
Joining a Crowded Field of Athlete-Owners
Gilgeous-Alexander is far from the first basketball star to buy into a soccer club. The Athletic notes he becomes the latest NBA star to invest in the sport, following Kevin Durant, who invested in Paris Saint-Germain in July 2025 and already holds ownership stakes in the Philadelphia Union and NY/NJ Gotham. Giannis Antetokounmpo joined the Chelsea Women ownership group in February 2026 after previously investing in Nashville SC in 2023.
The trend extends well beyond soccer. Patrick Mahomes joined a group of more than 20 investors that bought the Kansas City Royals for $1 billion in 2019, while the Buffalo Bills added Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Jozy Altidore among 10 limited partners to its ownership group in December 2024, according to GetMoreSports. Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton joined the Denver Broncos' ownership group in August 2022, and Everton announced in April 2025 that then-Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd would join its ownership ranks.
Analysts have pointed to a broader shift in sports finance behind these moves. Rising salaries and endorsement income for top modern athletes have positioned them to buy into teams and sports that were traditionally out of reach, The Athletic has reported, even as full control of most professional teams still rests with investors from finance, technology, real estate and energy. Kevin Durant's own path illustrates the pattern: he acquired a 5-percent stake in the Philadelphia Union back in 2020, with an option for another 5 percent down the line, while Naomi Osaka bought into the NWSL's North Carolina Courage and former NFL running back Mark Ingram II bought an undisclosed share of D.C. United.
For now, Gilgeous-Alexander's exact stake in Atlético de Madrid remains a closely held number. What is clear is that one of basketball's most dominant current players has added a European soccer giant to his portfolio, joining a growing club of athletes whose investments now stretch well beyond the court.
