Kanye West's Donda Sports Has Already Signed Elite Pro Athletes
Billionaire Kanye West recently launched his own sports agency, Donda Sports. Let's take a look at which athletes the agency has already signed.
June 1 2022, Published 3:03 p.m. ET
So far, Kanye West has launched his own fashion brand, school, and now has his own agency in Donda Sports. Which athletes have signed with the agency?
West still puts out music occasionally, but he has made an effort to branch out into different business ventures such as fashion, tech, and now advertising.
What is Donda Sports?
Donda Sports is a marketing agency, as well as a sports clothing line launched by West. The business mogul launched the agency back in January. He appointed former NFL star Antonio Brown as the president of the organization. It isn't clear if Brown will return to the NFL. The star athlete said in one interview that he doesn’t plan to play in the 2022–2023 football season, but his talent can't be denied and a team could make him an enticing offer.
At the Super Bowl in February, Brown and West booked a private suite at SoFi Stadium and called it the “Donda Suite,” which was meant to be for the youth the organization brought with them to the game.
Aaron Donald, who plays for the current Super Bowl Champs, the Los Angeles Rams, became the first athlete to sign with Donda Sports. On this past Sunday’s episode of the I AM ATHLETE podcast, the star defensive lineman made the announcement about signing with the agency.
West’s agency isn't a sports agency, so it doesn't interfere with Donald’s current contract with his agency that handles NFL contract negotiations. In the podcast episode, the NFL star said that the deal with Donda Sports was a no-brainer and that it’s an opportunity to open doors to different things outside of football. Donald's wife will also be involved with the agency, which was also a factor in him signing a deal.
On May 31, Donda Sports announced its second professional athlete to join the agency, with Boston Celtics player Jaylen Brown. Brown and the Celtics are currently in the NBA Finals series against the Golden State Warriors. According to TMZ, the agency was interested in the Celtics star because of his “intelligence, social activism, and charitable work.”
West also supposedly views Brown as an underappreciated athlete and wants to make him a superstar in the league, even after his career is over. The two men were seen taking a picture together after a Celtics game in March, so they have already built a personal relationship. Brown has been widely viewed as an underrated player in the NBA, as his teammate Jayson Tatum is more nationally recognized in the media.
Where can you buy Donda Sports merchandise?
On the Donda Sports’ website, there's apparel for sale including hoodies, shorts, and socks. The apparel features the Donda Doves logo, which is the name of the basketball team for the Donda Academy, a school that West opened earlier this year. Donda Academy is located in Ventura County, Calif., where it features some of the best high school athletes in the country.