NBA star LeBron James has become a Major League Pickleball (MLP) owner as a part of a consortium that includes NBA champions Draymond Green and Kevin Love.
With the ownership consortium in place, MLP stated that it aims to expand the community beyond its current participants into more diverse communities globally.
MLP will have 16 teams instead of 12 in 2023, and players will compete in six events spread over six cities for more than US$2 million.
The Miami Open tournament director and former US tennis champion James Blake are among the high-profile owners on MLP's list, which also includes Super Bowl champion Drew Brees and co-owner Marc Lasry of the Milwaukee Bucks.
The league, which was established in 2021, identifies itself as the "standard-bearer" for pickleball in the US.
The tennis-like game of pickleball, which was created in 1965, has been labeled the fastest-growing sport in the US, where there are reportedly 4.8 million players.
The sport’s global governing body, the International Federation of Pickleball (IFP) has around 70 member nations but is yet to be recognized by the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). USA Pickleball has approximately 56,000 members.
James and his fellow investors will feel they are on to a winner, but the sport is still taking shape.


Shell M&A Chief Exits After BP Takeover Proposal Rejected
Asian Stocks Edge Higher as Tech Recovers, U.S. Economic Uncertainty Caps Gains
How did sport become so popular? The ancient history of a modern obsession
Trump Set to Announce Washington D.C. as Host of 2027 NFL Draft
U.S. Dollar Steadies Near October Lows as Rate Cut Expectations Keep Markets on Edge
Asian Fund Managers Turn More Optimistic on Growth but Curb Equity Return Expectations: BofA Survey
Trump Urges Hall of Fame Induction for Roger Clemens Amid Renewed Debate
Yen Near Lows as Markets Await Bank of Japan Rate Decision, Euro Slips After ECB Signals Caution
Oil Prices Rebound as Trump Orders Blockade of Sanctioned Venezuelan Tankers
Chinese Robotaxi Stocks Rally as Tesla Boosts Autonomous Driving Optimism
RBA Unlikely to Cut Interest Rates in 2026 as Inflation Pressures Persist, Says Westpac
noyb Files GDPR Complaints Against TikTok, Grindr, and AppsFlyer Over Alleged Illegal Data Tracking.
Trump Signs Executive Order Targeting Big-Money College Athlete Payouts
FedEx Beats Q2 Earnings Expectations, Raises Full-Year Outlook Despite Stock Dip
EU Delays Mercosur Free Trade Agreement Signing Amid Ukraine War Funding Talks
Trump Administration Reviews Nvidia H200 Chip Sales to China, Marking Major Shift in U.S. AI Export Policy
Oil Prices Steady in Asia but Headed for Weekly Loss on Supply Glut Concerns 



