NBA Superstar Buys Stake in European Football Giant

Two-time NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has officially become a shareholder in Spanish football club Atlético Madrid, the team announced on Thursday. Atlético, currently holding the second position in LaLiga, stated that their partnership with the 28-year-old Oklahoma City Thunder guard is "grounded in shared values: ambition, excellence and the belief that every result must be earned."

Gilgeous-Alexander expressed his enthusiasm for the new venture, remarking, "I'm excited to officially join Atlético Madrid's ownership group. This is a club with a long-standing presence at the top of European football, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to be part of its future." The specific size of the Canadian player's ownership stake was not disclosed by the club. Gilgeous-Alexander, who was previously seen in an Atlético tracksuit earlier in the year, was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019 after a season with the LA Clippers.

His notable NBA career includes winning the 2025 NBA finals where he was named MVP, and securing his second MVP title a year later, even as the Thunder were eliminated in the Western Conference Finals. He also represented Canada at the 2024 Olympics. Atlético Madrid, meanwhile, is one of Spain's most successful football clubs, with recent LaLiga victories in 2014 and 2021 under their current coach, Diego Simeone. Since last year, Atlético has been majority owned by the US-based fund Apollo Global Management. This investment places Gilgeous-Alexander among a growing list of high-profile NBA players, such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant, who have chosen to invest in football clubs.