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In a significant development, the Basketball legend Lebron James has joined the elite list of businessmen to invest in Major League Pickleball. The organizers announced on Wednesday that James and his business partner, Maverick Carter will join its ownership ranks along with NBA champion Draymond Green and Kevin Love and others. Apart from Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and Clevland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love have also invested in the upcoming league.
James' longtime friend and CEO of their entertainment brand SpringHill Company, SpringHill CMO Paul Rivera and investment firm SC Holdings and Relevent Sports Group co-owner and CEO Daniel Sillman are also among the ownership group, MLP announced on Wednesday.
While responding to development, MLP founder Steve Kuhn stated that the association of SC Holdings, LRMR Ventures 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 the league.
“Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country, building communities in cities and towns all over the world. This investment and the platform that this group provides will significantly help us with our goal to reach 40 million pickleball players by 2030," he said.
Earlier, James and the New York Yankees bought into Italian soccer club AC Milan, bringing together the world's most valuable baseball team and one of the highest-paid athletes. Year before, James and Carter invested in Fenway Sports Group, giving them stakes in the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Penguins, Liverpool FC and Roush Fenway Racing.
MLP's ownership group already includes former NFL quarterback Drew Bress, Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry, former tennis player James Blake and famed lecturer Brene Brown.
James’ partner Maverick Carter commented on their association with the league by saying that when he started playing pickleball, he got connected with the sport’s community and its capacity to be both fun and competitive. “To see the sport growing in communities all over is really exciting, and we’re looking forward to bringing our expertise together to try and build a championship team,” Carter told CNBC.