Rich Kleiman
Rich Kleiman is a New York-born sports and entertainment entrepreneur and the longtime manager and business partner of NBANBAThe National Basketball Association (NBA) is a North American professional basketball league with 30 teams.Open the full entry player Kevin DurantKevin DurantKevin Durant is an NBA forward who entered the league in 2007 and has played for the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder, the Golden State Warriors, the Brooklyn Nets, the Phoenix Suns and the Houston Rockets. He was the 2014 league MVP, has won two NBA championships and two Finals MVP awards as well as four Olympic gold medals, and co-founded Thirty Five Ventures and Boardroom with Rich Kleiman.Open the full entry. After starting out as a music manager at Roc Nation, he co-founded Thirty Five VenturesThirty Five VenturesThirty Five Ventures (35V) is a company founded by NBA player Kevin Durant and his manager and business partner Rich Kleiman. Based in New York, it brings together the pair’s investment, media and brand businesses, owns the sports business media brand Boardroom and holds stakes in professional teams and startups.Open the full entry (35V) and the sports business media brand Boardroom with Durant, and became Boardroom’s CEO.
Contents14 sections
Key facts
2004Fade to Black
In 2004 Kleiman was a producer of the Jay-Z documentary Fade to Black.[1]
2007–2008Meets Kevin Durant
Kleiman is a native New Yorker. He met Kevin Durant at a Jay-Z concert at Madison Square Garden through the rapper Wale, when Durant was 19 and playing for the Seattle SuperSonicsOklahoma City ThunderThe Oklahoma City Thunder are an American NBA basketball team based at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.Open the full entry.[1]
2008Joins Roc Nation
In 2008 Kleiman joined Roc Nation as a music manager, representing artists including Mark Ronson, Solange and Wale.[2]
2013Roc Nation Sports and Durant’s Manager
In 2013 Kleiman became Durant’s manager and helped launch Roc Nation Sports, where he served as vice president.[1]
2016Co-Founds Thirty Five Ventures
In 2016 Kleiman and Durant co-founded Thirty Five Ventures.[3]
2019Co-Founds Boardroom
In 2019 Kleiman and Durant founded Boardroom, a 35V company.[4]
October 29, 2021Swagger Premieres
On October 29, 2021, the series Swagger premiered on Apple TV+. Co-created and run by Reggie Rock Bythewood, it was executive produced by Kleiman together with Durant, Brian Grazer and others.[5]
May 2022Gotham FC and Athletes Unlimited
In May 2022 Kleiman and Durant’s 35V became a minority owner of NJ/NY Gotham FCGotham FCGotham FC is a women's professional soccer club representing the New York–New Jersey region in the NWSL. Formerly Sky Blue FC, it plays at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, and won the NWSL Championship in 2023 and 2025.Open the full entry. At the time both men sat on the board of the professional sports league Athletes Unlimited.[6]
October 2022Major League Pickleball
In October 2022 35V bought a Major League Pickleball expansion team. Kleiman said: “We can’t wait to build this team from the ground up.”[7]
September 2024At Game Plan as Boardroom CEO
In September 2024 Kleiman took part in the CNBCCNBCCNBC is an American business and financial news cable channel launched by NBC in 1989; it merged with its rival FNN in 1991 and since January 2026 has been part of Versant Media Group, spun off from Comcast.Open the full entry x Boardroom Game Plan conference as Boardroom’s CEO and co-founder, taking part in the conversation with Rich Paul.[8]
September 2026Mental Wealth
In September 2026 Kleiman and Jack Howard of Ally Bank spoke with Savannah James and April McDaniel about money, friendship and business on Boardroom’s Mental Wealth.[9]
As of October 2026: Philanthropic Roles
Kleiman serves as executive director of the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation and is a member of the Athletes Unlimited Advisory Board.[2]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Thirty Five Ventures: Official website: https://www.35v.com/ (opens in a new window)[4]
Boardroom: Official website: https://boardroom.tv/ (opens in a new window)[10]
Sources
- GAME PLAN PLAYERS: Rich Kleiman (opens in a new window)
- Rich Kleiman - Advisory Board Member | Athletes Unlimited (opens in a new window)
- Speaker Details: Challenger Brands 2022 (opens in a new window)
- About Boardroom (opens in a new window)
- Welcome to “Swagger” (opens in a new window)
- 35 Ventures Joins NJ/NY Gotham FC's Ownership Group (opens in a new window)
- Kevin Durant & Rich Kleiman’s 35V Purchases Major League Pickleball Team (opens in a new window)
- Key Takeaways from 2024 CNBC x Boardroom Game Plan (opens in a new window)
- Savannah James and April McDaniel on Navigating Money, Friendship, and Business (opens in a new window)
- Boardroom - Business of Sports | Music | Entertainment (opens in a new window)