Yahoo Sports Kevin Durant becomes latest to purchase a Major League Pickleball team
Kevin Durant is getting in on pickleball.
The Brooklyn Nets star announced that, alongside manager Rich Kleiman and Thirty Five Ventures, he is now the owner of a Major League Pickleball expansion team.
"35V is committed to investing in the future of sports and emerging opportunities, and Major League Pickleball is a league we are incredibly excited about," Kleiman said in a statement. "We can't wait to build this team from the ground up as well as work to elevate the sport and the league to unprecedented heights. As an avid pickleball player and fan, the interest in the sport was a natural fit."
Though MLP is only in its second year of existence, it already has plenty of star power behind it and is preparing to grow rapidly. MLP will expand from 12 teams to 16 teams next year, and will hold six events with prize money surpassing $2 million.
Durant said he’s still not sure where his team will be located or what it will be called.
Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s @35Ventures has purchased a Major League Pickleball expansion team.
35V plans to further expand @majorleaguepb’s by running its team as a full-time venture, including everything from player relations to marketing, sponsorships, and merchandise. pic.twitter.com/DA4B9R0huK— Boardroom (@boardroom) October 20, 2022
“I never thought I would get into pickleball until Rich convinced me to go to the court one day,” Durant said. “I played a few games, and I was like, ‘I understand now.’
“So it became a small passion that’s going to continue to keep building. It’s something fun to be a part of … We really, really want to leave our mark from day one on how hard our team is going to play and how successful we're going to be as a group,.”
Durant is just the latest to buy into MLP in recent months. Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees owns a team, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady joined an ownership group for an expansion team earlier this month. LeBron James, Draymond Green and Kevin Love will own a new expansion team together next year. Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry and entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuck are both owners in the league, too.
