KD gets a pick-up game inside and has a chance (0:34)
Kevin Durant appeared in an impromptu game of pickleball and tried his hand at the growing sport. (0:34)
Kevin Durant joins the list of famous players who own a baseball team.
Durant was announced Thursday as the owner of Major League Pickleball, along with owner Rich Kleiman and their Thirty Five Ventures.
“35V is committed to investing in the future of sports and new opportunities, and Major League Pickleball is a league we are passionate about,” Kleiman said in a news release. “We can’t wait to build this team from the ground up and work to take the game and the league to an unprecedented level.
Thirty Five Ventures will be involved with the developers “as a permanent business,” according to the announcement, and will manage all aspects, including sales and marketing.
Durant said he “never thought” he’d go to pickleball in a video on Boardroom, which owns 35V, but the Brooklyn Nets star said the sport was became a “wannabe” when Kleiman took him on the field to play for himself.
“Kevin Durant, Rich Kleiman, and 35V will be a game-changing partnership for Major League Pickleball,” said Steve Kuhn, MLP CEO and founder, in the announcement. “They not only bring a passion for the game, but also unparalleled skills to help us continue to grow. We are very excited about their plans to bring pickleball to underserved communities – it’s something they’ve done in basketball for years.”
LeBron James was previously announced as the owner of the MLP expansion team, along with Maverick Carter, Draymond Green and Kevin Love. Tom Brady and Kim Clijsters were also named as part of the manager of the other team last week. Drew Brees and James Blake are moneymakers in the league.
The MLP, which was founded in 2021, will expand from its current 12 teams to 16 in 2023 and double its annual games to six. The league said prize money is expected to top $2 million next season.
In the Boardroom Video, Durant said their next steps are to find a city for the team to play in and represent, and find the right players for their vision.
“We really want to leave our mark from day one on how hard our teams will play and how successful we will be as a group,” said the NBA All-Star. 12 times.
