NJ/NY Gotham FC announced Wednesday morning that Thirty Five Ventures has become minority investors of the club.

Thirty Five Ventures was co-founded by two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant and entrepreneur Rich Kleiman.

Since March, 35V has been the third group of investors to take a stake in the franchise, joining fellow minority owners Kristin Bernert and Karen Bryant in March and Carli Lloyd in April.

“As a New York-based company, the opportunity for us to partner with a forward-thinking team like Gotham FC was a no brainer,” Kleiman said in a statement. “There’s been so much growth in the NWSL in recent years, and the chance to be a part of that growth and work directly with the Gotham FC executive team and players is really exciting,”

The investment includes additional partnership elements such as content creation, social media support, player relations and community outreach. This follows 35V’s previous partnerships in women’s sports, including an investment in media network Just Women’s Sports and a strategic partnership with pro sports league Athletes Unlimited, where Durant and Kleiman serve as board members. It is also the company’s second investment in a professional soccer team after acquiring an ownership stake in Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union in June 2020.

“Bringing in Kevin, Rich, and 35V as investors is a huge statement about the positive trajectory of our club,” Gotham FC club chair Tammy Murphy said in a statement. “The level of enthusiasm they’ve displayed has been above and beyond anything we could have anticipated. We have tremendous aspirations this year both on and off the field and, together with 35V’s support and resources, we’re going to make sure New Jersey and New York hear all about it!”

Added Gotham FC managing owner Ed Nalbandian: “This is another big step forward for our franchise. Kevin and Rich are two of the most influential people in sports and their work in the business and entertainment world and their significant investment in Gotham FC illustrates the potential of our club. They will be tremendous resources to the club across multiple areas and we’re excited to welcome them to the Gotham FC family.”

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.