Kevin Garnett co-launches media startup with sports betting focus
NBA Hall of Famer debuts Gaming Society in concert with Players’ Tribune co-founder
Kevin Garnett has begun the next phase of his post-playing career by co-launching a media startup alongside Jaymee Messler, who co-founded The Players’ Tribune with Derek Jeter back in 2014.
The new media company, Gaming Society, is a gamification and content platform with a focus on sports betting.
The mission of Gaming Society is to educate casual fans and potential bettors about sports betting concepts and terminology.
Toward that end, Gaming Society will create gamified content, relay sports betting insights through contests and data tools, and leverage athletes as thought leaders.
“Our goal is to provide the information and guidance to make people better bettors, and we are creating a new platform that will put professional athletes at the forefront of innovation in the betting category,” Garnett said in a statement.
Among the featured content will be a weekly newsletter that aims to educate readers about sports betting in a casual and entertaining way.
Bolstering the newsletter is a basketball betting-centric podcast called The Betting Academy: Hoops Edition, which is hosted by Kendrick Perkins and launched earlier this year.
In addition to data-driven insights, educational components, and betting previews, Garnett will also provide picks, but not from the typical “tout” perspective.
“I’m no gambling expert but make no mistake, I am an expert of the game,” Garnett wrote in the inaugural newsletter. “Where I lack in sportsbook experience, I have some friends who are the real deal who will show us the way.
“We’re going to give you what you’re not getting anywhere else — from what’s going on in your favorite player’s head to ranking which refs are most likely to target a certain player.”
Garnett’s foray into the sports betting realm represents a different approach than other retired athletes, many of whom have entered the space through partnerships with sportsbook operators — including Jalen Rose (BetMGM), Pat McAfee (FanDuel), and Richard Hamilton (PointsBet).
He also made more than just a cameo appearance in Uncut Gems, the 2020 movie starring Adam Sandler that was released exclusively on Netflix.
A singular presence on the hardwood throughout his 22-year career, it appears Garnett is striving to forge a similarly unique path off the court with this latest venture.
Photo by Visual China Group via Getty Images/Visual China Group via Getty Images