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The Oklahoma City Thunder did not compete nearly as long in the 2013 NBA Playoffs as they would have liked to, and much of the disappointment came by way of point guard Russell Westbrook enduring a season-ending injury. While Westbrook takes this offseason to rest up and heal, his teammate and fellow All-Star is using this offseason to make some serious changes.
After leaving his former agency Landmark Sports, Thunder superstar Kevin Durant quickly announced his decision to sign with Jay-Z and Roc Nation Sports today. Roc Nation is beginning to establish themselves as an up-and-coming force in the industry and a signing like Durant only proves that point even further.
With sponsors like Sprint, Nike and Gatorade – among others – Durant makes around $11 million in endorsements annually according to Forbes and you’d like to think that Jay-Z will only continue to multiply his earnings with the types of connections he has in the entertainment industry.
Jay-Z and Roc Nation already have a couple of stars on board like Robinson Cano of the New York Yankees, Skylar Diggins of the Tulsa Shock and are also rumored to have interest in Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson.
Anyone who was laughing when they heard Jay-Z was headed into the sports agency industry is surely changing their mind after a day like today. Roc Nation has gotten their hands on one of the top basketball players in the world for the past few years and could wind up managing a future NBA champion.
For a championship to come Durant’s way, though, the Thunder are going to have to find that one or two more crucial pieces to their team especially after trading away a guy like James Harden. This offseason will feature a few decisions and potential moves, but overall once Westbrook is back, expect Oklahoma City to contend next season just as they have in the past couple of years.
Ryan Heckman is a Senior NBA writer for www.RantSports.com also contributing to the NFL. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
