Shaq, KD & D. Wade Join TMRW Sports’ Roster of Basketball Investors including Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala, Steve Nash, Chris Paul, Jayson Tatum & Diana Taurasi
March 21, 2023 – (NEW YORK and Orlando, Fla.): TMRW Sports, which is focused on building progressive approaches to sports, media, and entertainment, has announced another wave of all-star investors from the world of basketball with the addition of NBA superstars Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade, and Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s 35V. They join other basketball greats as TMRW Sports investors, including Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala, Steve Nash, Chris Paul, Jayson Tatum, and Diana Taurasi. This list of TMRW Sports basketball investors have been named to a total of 83 NBA/WNBA All-Star Games.
TMRW Sports’ initial investment round, announced in November 2022, was co-led by Connect Ventures and 25madison Ventures. The TMRW Sports investment group’s sports experience includes team ownership in every major league and ranges across F1, NFL, NBA, Premier League, MLB, NHL, MLS, tennis, esports, surfing, and golf with a combined social reach of nearly 1 billion followers across social media. Co-founders Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Mike McCarley, Founder and CEO of TMRW Sports, formed TMRW Sports and announced the company’s first project, TGL, which is a tech-infused, primetime golf league that launches in early 2024 and is in partnership with the PGA TOUR.
“The broadening appeal of what we are building with TMRW Sports continues to gain momentum as we welcome more investors with Shaq, Kevin and Dwyane to our team,” said McCarley. “As champions, they understand what it takes to build a great team. And I welcome their leadership, insight, and enthusiasm for what we’re developing as we reimagine sports through the lens of a new generation of connected fans. Plus, I can’t wait for the company pickup games.”
Shaquille O’Neal: One of the most dominant players in NBA history winning four NBA Championships and an NBA MVP award, Shaq’s larger-than-life personality transcends basketball and has transformed him into a cultural icon. Shaq’s individual accolades include the 1999–2000 MVP award, the 1992–93 NBA Rookie of the Year award, 15 All-Star game selections, three All-Star Game MVP awards, three NBA Finals MVP awards, two scoring titles, 14 All-NBA team selections, and three NBA All-Defensive Team selections. He is one of only three players to win NBA MVP, All-Star game MVP and Finals MVP awards in the same year. He ranks 8th all-time in points scored, 7th in field goals, 15th in rebounds, and 8th in blocks. Off the court, Shaq has found success in acting, music, television, and gaming and he is currently an analyst on TNT’s Inside The NBA.
Dwyane Wade: Wade is a New York Times best-selling author and entrepreneur with partnerships including Way of Wade, MISSION, Budweiser Zero, Stance, BallerTV, Wade Cellars, Versace Eyewear, Proudly, and Jeeter. Wade has an ownership stake in the Utah Jazz and Real Salt Lake. He is a board of trustee member for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and a UC Davis Executive Leadership Board member for the department of Viticulture and Enology. Founder of 59th and Prairie Entertainment, he is an executive producer of D. Wade: Life Unexpected, the Sports Emmy–nominated documentary Shot in the Dark, the Oscar-winning animated short Hair Love, Legacy: In The Shadow of Greatness, and Netflix’s The Redeem Team. He executive produces and hosts The Cube on TBS. Wade is a three-time NBA Champion, Olympic Gold medalist, thirteen-time NBA All-Star, and was named the 2006 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. He is the Heat’s all-time leader in points, games played, assists, and steals and the NBA’s all-time leader for blocks by a guard. His #3 jersey has been retired by both the Miami Heat and his college team, the Marquette Golden Eagles. He was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history.
Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s 35V: Thirty Five Ventures (35V) was founded in 2016 by Rich Kleiman and Kevin Durant. From initial excitement and success in both venture investing and media production, 35V has grown into a multi-faceted sports, media and entertainment company. In 2019, 35V launched Boardroom, a media network that sits at the intersection of sports, entertainment, business and culture. 35V also holds a portfolio of ownership stakes in emerging and undervalued teams sports properties, including the NWSL and Major League Pickleball.
TMRW SPORTS’ CULTURAL ICON INVESTORS:
The 11 committed golfers to compete in TGL, led by Woods and McIlroy, have combined to win 27 Major Championships, 186 PGA TOUR Victories, 880 Weeks at World No. 1 and the past two men’s golf Olympic gold medalists. Additionally, TMRW Sports’ investor group combines to add 113 Formula 1 wins, 73 NBA All-Star Games, 40 Emmy Awards, 26 Grand Slam singles titles, 27 Olympic medals, 17 NBA Championships, 16 NFL Pro Bowls, 19 MVP titles across four sports, 10 Grammy Awards, 7 F1 World Championships, 5 UEFA Champions League titles, 3 Stanley Cups, 3 MLB All-Star Games, 3 WNBA Championships, 2 FIFA Women’s World Cups, and a World Series champion.