From NBA Icon to Hospitality Mogul: Kevin Durant’s Vision Behind Austin Sports Club

NBA All-Star Kevin Durant is expanding his footprint in the city where he first rose to national prominence, not on the court but in hospitality. The two-time NBA champion and University of Texas Longhorn alumnus is partnering with a group of prominent business figures to open Austin Sports Club, a new restaurant and social venue slated for downtown Austin at 205 East Third Street.

Durant’s involvement in the project represents his first major restaurant venture and underscores his ongoing ties to the Texas capital, where he played college basketball during the 2006-07 season before launching an NBA career that has spanned more than a decade.

Austin Sports Club – A blend of dining and sports culture

According to local reporting, Austin Sports Club will bring together elevated cuisine, bold flavors and curated experiences rooted in sports-driven storytelling. The concept aims to combine upscale dining with a social environment designed to appeal to athletes, executives and tastemakers alike.

Partners in the project include:

Rich Kleiman’s Boardroom Hospitality, the media and investment company Durant co-founded,
Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb,
Lobos Hospitality, the Austin-based operator behind popular city destinations such as Toasty Badger and The Powder Room.

Though full menu details have not been released, the venture’s culinary identity is described as “rooted in elevated comfort, global influence, bold flavors, and sports-driven storytelling.” Hiring is underway for key kitchen and management positions, signaling momentum toward an anticipated opening in spring 2026.

Durant’s decision to invest in Austin resonates beyond business. His lone collegiate season at the University of Texas made him a beloved figure in Longhorn Nation, and he has maintained a presence in the region through philanthropic contributions, including a multimillion-dollar donation to the university’s basketball program.

By launching Austin Sports Club, Durant is tapping into both his personal narrative and Austin’s vibrant food and entertainment scene, positioning the venue as a new cultural destination where sport, lifestyle and community intersect

Why Austin Sports Club Fits Kevin Durant’s Business Strategy

Kevin Durant’s decision to co-found Austin Sports Club, a high-end sports-driven restaurant and social venue in downtown Austin, is not a celebrity vanity play. It aligns cleanly with the broader business thesis Durant has been executing for years: own culture, don’t just endorse it.

While official renderings and full design details are still under wraps, the collaboration between Kevin Durant, Joe Gebbia, Rich Kleiman, and Lobos Hospitality points to a venue defined by premium design, exclusive service, and an elevated sports-driven atmosphere.

Drawing on Lobos Hospitality’s reputation for merging luxury with approachability, Austin Sports Club is expected to offer:

A state-of-the-art restaurant showcasing bold, globally inspired cuisine
High-end lounges and social suites for both casual gatherings and private events
Curated dining and beverage programs that blend comfort with sophistication
An immersive entertainment experience designed to bring sports, culture, and community together

More than a restaurant, Austin Sports Club is poised to redefine how fans and professionals connect through sport, style, and storytelling.

Through Boardroom, Thirty Five Ventures, and a growing hospitality portfolio, Durant has steadily positioned himself as an operator at the intersection of sports, media, lifestyle, and premium experiences. Austin Sports Club is a natural extension of that strategy.

From Athlete to Cultural Architect

Durant’s post-career vision has been consistent: build platforms that sit upstream of culture rather than chase sponsorships downstream. Boardroom Media, for example, doesn’t simply cover sports business, it shapes the conversation. Austin Sports Club does the same in physical form.

A high-scale sports restaurant allows Durant to:

Create a real-world hub for athletes, executives, creatives, and influencers
Control brand narrative and atmosphere rather than rent it through endorsements
Build an asset that operates whether or not he’s on the court

This mirrors the path taken by figures like LeBron James, Jay-Z, and David Beckham as athletes who transitioned from talent to tastemakers by owning the environments where culture gathers.

Why High-Scale, Not a Sports Bar

Durant is deliberately avoiding the traditional sports bar model. The market is saturated, margins are thin, and the experience is interchangeable. A luxury-leaning sports restaurant, by contrast, offers differentiation and longevity.

High-scale positioning delivers:

Brand alignment with Durant’s global, elite profile
Higher margins through premium dining, cocktails, and private events
A destination model rather than a game-day-only business

The concept speaks to a consumer who follows sports but also values design, culinary credibility, and exclusivity, the same audience that consumes Boardroom content and invests in lifestyle brands.

Why Austin Makes Strategic Sense

Austin is not just sentimental for Durant as a former Longhorn. It is one of the fastest-growing cities for:

Tech founders and venture capital
High-income transplants
Athletes and creators seeking tax-friendly, culture-forward cities

By planting a flagship venue in downtown Austin, Durant taps into a city that mirrors his brand values: modern, influential, and forward-looking. The location also serves as a test market, scalable if successful, but culturally authentic if it remains singular.

Hospitality as a Relationship Engine

Beyond revenue, Austin Sports Club functions as a relationship accelerator. High-end hospitality spaces quietly serve as deal-making environments, content incubators, and networking hubs. For an investor-operator like Durant, that ecosystem value often outweighs the restaurant’s balance sheet.

It’s a place where:

Media partnerships are born
Athletes become investors
Brands become collaborators

That ecosystem thinking is core to Durant’s business identity.

The Bigger Picture

Austin Sports Club fits squarely into Durant’s long-term plan: transition from generational athlete to permanent cultural stakeholder. It reinforces his credibility as a businessman, deepens his footprint in lifestyle ventures, and creates a tangible extension of his brand; one that can exist long after the final buzzer.

In short, the move isn’t about serving food. It’s about owning the room where sports, culture, and business converge. Coming 2026 ~An elevated restaurant where sports, style, and culture converge.