A decent selection of athletes ventured into soccer investments with the Oakland Roots. Jason Kidd has joined a community investment effort to become a co-owner of both the Oakland Roots SC (men’s team) and Oakland Soul SC (women’s team).
Reflecting on his involvement, Kidd expressed excitement about joining the Roots and Soul family.
He emphasized his motivation to support local teams and underlined his appreciation for the presence of both male and female teams. Given the teams’ location in the Bay Area, Kidd felt it was a perfect fit.
This investment round was a collective effort involving more than 5,000 investors, including Oakland locals and athletes like former NFL player Marshawn Lynch, Josh Johnson, Antonio Davis, and Gary Payton II. The round successfully closed on October 31, 2023, raising over $2.6 million.
Kidd’s decision to invest in soccer is deeply rooted in his childhood passion for the sport, which was the first sport he ever played. Moreover, he is driven by his mission to promote equality for female athletes.
Kidd attributed his formative years in Oakland to shaping his identity and success. He highlighted the pivotal role that youth sports played in his life, with soccer being one of the first sports he engaged in. He emphasized the importance of having hometown athlete heroes to look up to.
His involvement with Oakland Roots and Soul is driven by his love for Oakland, the game of soccer, and his commitment to advancing gender equality in sports. Kidd’s vision is to ensure that every young person growing up in Oakland has a local team to support and aspire to.
We’re seeing a rise of crowdfunding across sports with the Oakland Roots raising over $3M from 5,000+ investors.
