NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo has announced he has joined the ownership group of Chelsea Women which includes his «friend» Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
Antetokounmpo, who is Greek-Nigerian, becomes the latest big-name U.S.-based star to invest in British football. NFL legend Tom Brady joined Birmingham City as a «minority owner» in 2023, while actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac have taken Wrexham to the brink of the Premier League after buying the Welsh club in 2021.
Antetokounmpo is not the first NBA star to invest in European football teams — LeBron James has been a minority owner of Liverpool since 2011 and Kevin Durant became a minority shareholder in perennial French champions Paris Saint-Germain in 2024.
Ohanian, who last year purchased a 10% stake in the reigning Women’s Super League (WSL) champions is married to legendary former tennis player Sarina Williams.
Milwaukee Bucks power forward/center Antetokounmpo announced his investment in Chelsea in a social media post on Saturday.
«I’m proud and honored to partner with my friend @alexisohanian, joining the ownership group of @chelseafcw, a historic club built on passion, excellence, and a winning culture,» he said.
«Chelsea’s history speaks for itself, and I’m excited to contribute to the future by supporting continued growth and impact in women’s sport. This is about ambition, legacy, and pushing the game to new heights. Up the Chels!»
Responding to Antetokounmpo’s post on X, Ohanian replied with a photo of a much younger Antetokounmpo visiting the Stamford Bridge home dressing room several years ago, saying: «Welcome home my friend!»
Welcome home my friend! https://t.co/ylGZrWXD8d pic.twitter.com/uw4Bj0uqje
— Alexis Ohanian 🗽 (@alexisohanian) February 8, 2026
Chelsea have won six WSL titles in a row but are set to relinquish their crown to Manchester City. They are 12 points behind the league leaders with eight matches remaining in the season.
On Friday the west London club announced head coach Sonia Bompastor had extended her contract with the club until 2030.
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