Major League Pickleball founder says LeBron James’ investment brought billions of eyes to league

By Orel Dizon
Updated: January 22, 2023

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Several months ago, it was reported that Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James would be investing in Major League Pickleball by headlining a new ownership group.

Recently, Steve Kuhn, the league’s founder, expressed that the four-time NBA MVP’s involvement in the league has resulted in billions of hits.

“It has been a crazy year in pickleball,” Kuhn said. “Major League Pickleball is bringing some amazing people to this sport with LeBron, with Kevin Durant, with Tom Brady. It’s been an amazing year for us. This year, stories about Major League Pickleball hit 11 billion eyeballs. The LeBron announcement alone was four billion.”

There is no doubt that pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. It is an easily accessible recreational activity that does not require too much athleticism or sophisticated facilities. In addition, it is easy to learn, unlike other sports that have steep learning curves.

From 2021 to 2022, the sport attracted millions of participants. The sport eventually caught James’ eye in 2022, pushing him to bet big in Major League Pickleball.

The future Hall of Famer is not the only world-famous athlete to have invested in the league. As Kuhn mentioned, Durant joined in on the hype after James, becoming an owner of a different team in October 2022.

Other NBA players who are also involved in the league are Draymond Green and Kevin Love, who happen to be co-owners of a squad alongside James.

Given how popular the sport has become, it wouldn’t be a surprise to eventually hear about James and the other players profiting from their ventures.

While the 38-year-old has had his eyes set on pickleball, much of his focus is still likely on helping the Lakers reach the playoffs this season. The Purple and Gold have a tough task ahead as the team is currently 13th in the Western Conference with a 21-25 standing.

Los Angeles has been reeling in recent days, losing three of its past five contests to fall in the playoff picture. However, a strong win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday will hopefully provide the squad a needed spark to start turning things around.

The team also received some good news recently as reports of Anthony Davis possibly returning in a week’s time made the rounds on social media.