Pickleball Goes Pro: 10 Famous Investors Shaping Major League Pickleball

Pickleball, a fast-growing sport, has captivated players since its invention in 1965. It all started on Bainbridge Island, Washington, where three inventive dads sought a creative way to entertain their kids. Combining elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis, they crafted a game featuring paddles, a perforated ball, and a unique court design—laying the foundation for a sport that continues to thrive and bring people together.

While the game has existed since the 1960s, it became more popular nationwide in the 2000s. What started as a small game has morphed into a full-fledged sport with adult participants who are part of several professional teams and leagues. The teams have four players, and the leagues have multiple teams. The top league is called Major League Pickleball or MLP, and it consists of 12 teams at its Premier level.

You can probably imagine that the investment necessary to own a pickleball team would likely be extremely high at such an elite level. With a typical cost of around 10 million dollars, it is not something your average person could afford to be a part of. With pickleball rising to the professional level, it shouldn’t be surprising to find other athletes, former athletes, and even celebrities looking to get involved.

Major League Pickleball

Major League Pickleball is one of five top pickleball leagues in America. It was formed in 2022 and is considered the premier professional pickleball league. It consists of twelve teams at the upper level. The twelve teams are located in the cities where the owner or ownership groups are primarily located.

Owning a Major League Pickleball Team

Investing in a professional pickleball team typically involves several key areas of expenditure. As mentioned earlier, it can cost upward of 10 million dollars to run a successful pickleball team in the MLP. Below is a basic breakdown of what are some of the many areas involved in operating a pickleball team at the professional level.

Team Formation 

Putting together a professional pickleball team of four top players, coaching staff, and other support staff can be expensive. Player salaries account for a big part of that cost.

Facilities and Travel 

A place designated for practice and training for the team is necessary. Since the league plays all over the country, there is also a cost for covering travel and accommodations for each team member who participates in all matches.

League Fees 

As with any league, there are several fees and other costs associated with participating in professional leagues like Major League Pickleball (MLP). Fees and expenses may include such things as league entry fees and other costs.

Marketing and Sponsorship 

Promoting the team and securing sponsorship deals to generate revenue. Just like any other professional sport, it is expensive to operate a pickleball team, so it is important to be able to promote the team. The best way to do this is to secure as much outside sponsorship as possible.

Equipment and Apparel

The team is responsible for outfitting each team member with everything they need to participate in all team activities. This includes paddles, balls, game uniforms, and any other related equipment.

The total investment can vary widely, but owning a Major League Pickleball team can cost up to $10 million.

Athletes and Celebrities who have invested in the MLP

Current and former professional athletes own the twelve teams that are currently part of Major League Pickleball. These include football, basketball, and tennis players, who were all at the top of their respective sports throughout their careers. 

Ten such athletes currently own an MLP team or are part of an ownership group of a team that is part of the MLP.

LeBron James, Kevin Love, and Draymond Green formed an ownership group to put together a team that is currently part of the MLP. However, there is currently no information regarding a team name or the exact location of the team.

Tom Brady teamed up with Kim Clijsters (former tennis star) to form their own MLP team. Currently, no official team name is being announced or location for the organization to be headquartered.

Kevin Durant, along with his manager Rich Kleiman and their joint venture Thirty-Five Ventures (35V), have invested in an MLP team. As of yet, they have not finalized all of the team details, and that includes not picking a team name or the official location of the organization.

Drew Brees is co-founder of the ownership group for the MLP team Mad Drops Pickleball Club. They are headquartered in Austin, Texas, and he is said to be an enthusiastic member of the group.

Patrick Mahomes, along with Jeremy Lin (basketball)  and other investors, formed an ownership team to create a pickleball team that would compete in the MLP. The organization is headquartered in Kansas City, MO, and the team name is Kansas City Pickleball Club.

Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios have partnered to invest in the MLP. Their ownership group is based in Miami, FL, and the team’s name is the Miami Pickleball Club. It shouldn’t be surprising that this pair would get involved as they each are professional tennis players with pickleball being so closely associated with tennis.

Michael B. Jordan is part of a large ownership group along with several high-profile entertainers, including Drake, Steve Stoute, Kelly Sawyer Patricof, Jamie Patricof, and Mary Cannon. The ownership group came up with the team name, the Brooklyn Aces, which is based in Brooklyn, New York.

Many athletes these days realize that they have to use the money that they accumulate through the sports that they play in order to secure their future. Once they hang up their shoes, cleats, or whatever, they will need a way to support themselves and their families. Most will never make enough to be able to invest in sports teams that are part of the upper echelon in the sports world: NFL, MLB, and NBA. Those teams require hundreds of millions of dollars. Fortunately, some of them have discovered the sport of pickleball and MLP in particular.

Major League Pickleball, or MLP, is the highest level of the popular sport. People like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Kevin Durant, who are or were at the highest level of their respective sports, now have a way to help other athletes achieve their goal of competing at the professional level of pickleball. Hats off to these amazing people who can use their resources to make the dream come true for others.