LeBron James and Draymond Green have met in the NBA Finals and now they’re teammates in Major League … [+]
LeBron James, Draymond Green and Kevin Love are among the newest investors in professional pickleball, as the NBA stars join an increasingly diverse group of team owners that includes Super Bowl-winning quarterback Drew Brees, entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, former pro tennis player James Blake, and Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry.
James becomes part of Major League Pickleball’s newest ownership group through LRMR Ventures, the company the NBA’s four-time MVP founded with longtime friend Maverick Carter. Fellow NBA champions Green and Love are also part of the ownership roster that will control one of MLP’s 16 teams — expanding from 12 this year — as are investment firm SC
It’s an intentionally large and varied group that MLP believes can further expand pickleball’s reach through a wealth of experience and impact across not only professional sports, but media, entertainment and branding.
(It’s) “not just great for MLP, it’s a watershed moment for pickleball in general,” said Major League Pickleball Founder Steve Kuhn.
MLP’s 2022 season concludes in mid-October in Columbus, Ohio, where the winning team will take home … [+]
MLP’s 2022 season concludes Oct. 14-16 in Columbus, Ohio, with the largest single-event purse in pickleball history — $319,000. Students from the LeBron James Family Foundation’s PROMISE Program in Akron will attend the tournament to learn and experience the fastest-growing sport in the U.S.
The number of pickleball players in the U.S. has jumped by more than 39% over the past two years, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Kuhn says the investment and the platform provided by James’ group will “significantly help us with our goal to reach 40 million pickleball players by 2030.”
In 2023, MLP players and teams will compete in six events for more than $2 million.
RELATED NEWS
Pickleball Embraces Golf’s Country Club Model With New $180 Million Florida Venture
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikmatuszewski/2022/09/29/lebron-james-and-draymond-green-part-of-professional-pickleballs-newest-ownership-group/