Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Joins Atlético Madrid Ownership Group

Two-time NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is crossing into football ownership. On Thursday, Atlético Madrid confirmed that the Oklahoma City Thunder guard has joined the club's ownership group, making the Canadian one of the most high-profile basketball stars to invest in European football. The La Liga club described the partnership as built on shared values of "ambition, excellence and the belief that every result must be earned." No financial details of his investment were disclosed. "I am excited to officially join Atlético de Madrid's ownership group," Gilgeous-Alexander said in the announcement. "This is a club with a long-standing presence at the top of European football, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of its future." The move is not entirely out of left field. In a 2025 Q&A, Gilgeous-Alexander called soccer his first sport, and he is friends with Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, who once attended a Thunder game in support. He will now be linked with Real Madrid's fiercest city rival — Atlético, winners of 11 La Liga titles, the most of any Spanish club outside the country's two giants. Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning back-to-back NBA MVP, led the Thunder to the NBA championship in 2025. His ownership stake makes him part of a growing wave of elite athletes buying into football clubs.