Report: LeBron James to invest in ‘fastest-growing sport in the country’ with Draymond Green and Kevin Love

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is a fan of many sports, and he is also extremely wealthy. That allows the 37-year-old to pursue avenues in the sports world that few others can.

In James’ latest business move, the NBA veteran is headlining a new ownership group in Major League Pickleball. LRMR Ventures, which is the family office of James and Maverick Carter, is making the move.

The group also includes investments from several other parties, including fellow NBA veterans Draymond Green and Kevin Love.

Major League Pickleball is expanding from 12 teams to 16. James and company are purchasing one of the expansion teams.

“Having SC Holdings, LRMR Ventures, and their incredible group as owners and investors in Major League Pickleball is not just great for MLP, it’s a watershed moment for pickleball in general,” MLP founder Steve Kuhn said.

It’s certainly an exciting move for James.

“Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country, building communities in cities and towns all over the world,” Kuhn said. “This investment and the platform that this group provides will significantly help us with our goal to reach 40 million pickleball players by 2030.”

Pickleball is becoming an increasingly popular sport, and it seems like James is getting in at a great time. There isn’t currently a lot of information available about the expansion team that the Lakers star is getting involved with, but more details will likely surface in the near future.

Plenty of Lakers fans have surely seen or played pickleball before. It’s a paddle sport that is sort of like a miniature version of tennis, though there are some major differences.

It’s an exciting time for James, who is also getting ready for the 2022-23 NBA season. The Lakers had an extremely disappointing 2021-22 season, and James is certainly motivated to make the upcoming campaign a different story.

The 18-time All-Star is still at the top of his game. Although availability issues have been a storyline for him in recent seasons, his production is still through the roof.

James averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game last season while shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from beyond the arc. Only time will tell if he can put together a similar campaign in the upcoming season.