• Loading stock data...
Friday, March 29, 2024
2024 Best Venues nominations are open now through April 8! Submit Now

NBA Stars Buying Major League Pickleball Team

  • LeBron James, Draymond Green, and Kevin Love are part of a group buying a Major League Pickleball team.
  • The beloved sport has seen huge growth in recent years.
LeBron-James-Draymond-Green-Kevin-Love
Design: Alex Brooks

Some NBA champions with a knack for forward-thinking investments are getting in on pickleball as the sport gains popularity across America.

LRMR Ventures, the family office of LeBron James and his business partner Maverick Carter, are purchasing a Major League Pickleball team as part of an all-star consortium.

  • NBA stars Draymond Green and Kevin Love, investment firm SC Holdings, Relevent Sports Group co-owner and CEO Daniel Sillman, and SpringHill Company CMO Paul Rivera are also part of the purchasing group.
  • The team, whose name is yet to be determined, will be part of a four-team MLP expansion to 16 teams.
  • Retired NFL champion Drew Brees, entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, and Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry also own MLP teams.

“Having LRMR Ventures, SC Holdings, and their incredible group as owners and investors in Major League Pickleball is not just great for MLP, but it’s a watershed moment for pickleball in general,” said MLP founder Steve Kuhn.

The league’s prize purse across six 2023 tournaments will be more than $2 million.

LRMR Ventures and SC Holdings have linked up before, co-leading a $29 million investment in Canyon Bicycles in July.

Pickleball Mania

A Sports and Fitness Industry Association survey from February found that 4.8 million people in the U.S. played pickleball in 2021, representing average annual growth of 11.5% over five years.

The sport shows impressive age diversity, with all of the five main age brackets representing at least 12% of all players. It is most popular among the 18-34 demographic, which makes up 28.8% of all U.S. players.

LeBron, Draymond, and Love may have just boarded a rocket ship. There are 66 new places to play pickleball opening up in the U.S. every month — and MLP aims to grow pickleball to 40 million players by 2030.

Editor’s note: SC Holdings is an investor in Front Office Sports.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Spring Football’s Big Bet: An Unlikely TV Marriage, and Crazy Rules

The United Football League launches this weekend on ESPN and Fox.

MLB Looks to Return Focus to the Field After Turbulent Offseason

The league aims to turn the page after grappling with several difficult problems this winter.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

Why the Timberwolves Sale was Called Off

0:00
0:00

Featured Today

March 22, 2024, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Northwestern Wildcats guard Brooks Barnhizer (13) and Northwestern Wildcats guard Boo Buie (0) react in overtime against the Florida Atlantic Owls in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at the Barclays Center.

‘An Expensive Game’: March Madness and NIL Collectives Are Intertwined

At schools nationwide, collectives are fueling NCAA tournament runs and vice versa.
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark (22) waits to be announced in the starting lineup against West Virginia in a NCAA Tournament round of 32 game Monday, March 25, 2024 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
March 26, 2024

The Women’s Trading Card Market Is Overlooked. Can Caitlin Clark Change That?

Traditionally, women’s sports cards have been a marginal part of collectibles.
The Sports Illustrated cover signed by Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, February 27, 2019, at Don & Charlie's, 7501 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale. Don Charlie S
March 24, 2024

Everything You Need to Know About the Ongoing ‘Sports Illustrated’ Saga

Understanding the strange state of affairs for the nearly 70-year-old publication.
March 23, 2024

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Inside the Big East’s Bizarre Online Subculture

Peeling back the curtain on the ‘phenomenally weird’ Big East online ecosystem.

Careers

Powered By

Careers in Sports

Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world.
Live Nation
Multiple - USA Careers
Adidas
Multiple - USA Careers
Spotify
Multiple - USA Careers

Planned Timberwolves, Lynx Sale Turns Bitter As Taylor Pulls Teams Off Market

The current majority owner claims that Rodriguez and Lore failed to meet the latest deadline.
March 20, 2024

A-Rod and Lore’s Timberwolves Ownership Plans Still on Track

The duo currently owns 40% of the NBA team and its WNBA counterpart.
March 28, 2024

Alex Rodriguez–Led Bid for Majority Control of Timberwolves Falls Through

Minnesota owner Glen Taylor said the team was no longer for sale.
Sponsored

How Daily Fantasy Sports Solved NBA Fantasy

The remarkable growth of the #1 Discord sports server in the world.
Manchester United stadium Old Trafford as viewed from above.
March 19, 2024

Another Wall Street Giant Wants a Piece of Sports

The investment bank forms a new team devoted to sports deals.
March 4, 2024

Drake, LeBron James Make PGA Tour Investment

The rapper and NBA star will try to boost the PGA Tour, despite not having a strong association with golf.
Commanders
February 28, 2024

FedEx Field No Longer, Commanders’ Stadium Will Get New Name

The Commanders must stay in Landover through 2027.
Josh Harris
February 28, 2024

Josh Harris, David Blitzer Set to Part Ways with Steelers Stake

Harris’s purchase of the Commanders prevents him from keeping the Steelers’ stake.