QSR Magazine: NBA Icon Kevin Durant Joins the Fast Casual Pizza Game

Although it appears to be another NBA rivalry taken off the court, Kevin Durant is reassuring everyone that is not the case. According to a recent QSR Magazine article, Durant Co. has recently purchased a stake in Pieology, which is quickly being compared to the deal that Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James made with Blaze Fast-Fired’d Pizza back in 2015 after becoming an investor in 2012. His less than $1 million investment in the franchise is now at least $35 million according to ESPN reports.

“This isn't about me versus LeBron," said Durant. "I think we do have different interests and we handle things differently, but the respect for each other is there. I do think we, as athletes, have realized the value of our stock these days, of the control that we have over what makes us valuable, including our social media accounts."

Besides the influence he knows he has on his more than 17 million followers on Twitter, Durant said the decision was based on his experience at the restaurant calling out its speed and quality food. Pieology currently has 140 franchise locations and Pieology Pizzeria R&D is located in Aliso Viejo, California.