You might have heard that pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America right now. Everyday there’s a viral clip of a new professional athlete dipping their toes into the sport. NBA superstar and savvy businessman LeBron James has become the latest professional athlete in the mix, as Major League Pickleball announced today that he's now an owner of a team.
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LeBron James Now Owns Major League Pickleball Team
New Owners Join MLP
LeBron James and Maverick Carter led the purchasing group through their LRMR Ventures. Notably, LRMR has ownership equity in Fenway Sports Group and Liverpool F.C. Many believe these ownership assets LeBron James is stacking will one day lead to him purchasing an NBA team, but only time will tell.
Beyond James and fellow NBA All-Stars Kevin Love and Draymond Green, the new ownership group includes private equity heavyweight SC Holdings. SC Holdings has investments in companies such as Mad Happy, Certified Collectibles Group, Athletic Greens, and much more.
High profile owners joining the MLP is nothing new, with a few notable owners already in the league. Social media guru and entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk is the current owner of The 5s, former professional tennis player James Blake is an owner of the Lions, and most recently Drew Brees became an owner in the league.
What's Next For MLP
The group stage draw for MLP Columbus has completed, with the groups being announced today. MLP Columbus will be the last team competition in 2022, and will take place October 14th through the 16th.
Group A:
BLQK, Jackrabbits, Lions, Florida Smash
Group B:
Ranchers, Chimeras, The Bus, Mad Drop Pickleball Club
Group C:
Hard 8's, Team Clean, ATX Pickleballers, The 5's