NBA player Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes part of Chelsea Women’s ownership team.
NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has revealed that he has joined the ownership group of Chelsea Women, which includes his “friend” Alexis Ohanian, a co-founder of Reddit.
Antetokounmpo, who has Greek and Nigerian heritage, is the latest prominent U.S.-based athlete to invest in English football. NFL icon Tom Brady became a “minority owner” of Birmingham City in 2023, while actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have brought Wrexham close to the Premier League after acquiring the Welsh club in 2021.
Antetokounmpo is not the first NBA player to invest in European football clubs; LeBron James has held a minority ownership stake in Liverpool since 2011, and Kevin Durant became a minority shareholder in the renowned French team Paris Saint-Germain in 2024.
Ohanian, who last year acquired a 10% share in the current Women’s Super League (WSL) champions, is married to the celebrated former tennis player Serena Williams.
Milwaukee Bucks forward/center Antetokounmpo announced his investment in Chelsea through a social media update 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 stated.
“Chelsea’s history speaks for itself, and I’m eager to contribute to the future by supporting ongoing growth and impact in women’s sports. This is about ambition, legacy, and elevating the game to new heights. Up the Chels!”
In response to Antetokounmpo’s post on X, Ohanian shared a photo of a younger Antetokounmpo visiting the Stamford Bridge home dressing room several years ago, commenting: “Welcome home my friend!”
Welcome home my friend! https://t.co/ylGZrWXD8d pic.twitter.com/uw4Bj0uqje
— Alexis Ohanian 🗽 (@alexisohanian) February 8, 2026
Chelsea has secured six consecutive WSL titles but is poised to lose their title to Manchester City. They trail the league leaders by 12 points with eight matches left in the season.
On Friday, the west London club announced that head coach Sonia Bompastor has extended her contract with the team until 2030.
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