Kim Clijsters and Tom Brady
Kim Clijsters and Tom Brady are Pickleball’s Newest Players. Brady and Clijsters are leading their newest ownership group to acquire an expansion team, which will start competing in 2023, Major League Pickleball said on Wednesday.
Investors Of NBA champions
The investors of the NBA champions include LeBron James, Draymond Green, Kevin Love, and Super Bowl champion Drew Brees. It comprises the billionaire investor and co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, Marc Lasry, and the former tennis pro James Blake.
Knighthead Capital is the driving force behind Brady and Clijsters. Callie Simpkins, a bond salesperson for RBC, and Kaitlyn Kerr, a financial advisor for JPMorgan who will act as its general manager, are also members of the group. Women will own 50% of the expansion club.
New Growth Strategy
The newest growth strategy for Major League Pickleball includes:
- Adding a new ownership group.
- Increasing the league’s number of events from two to six.
- Increasing the number of teams from 12 to 16.
Additionally, the authorities anticipate that prize payouts will expand and reach $2 million.
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“What shines through in working with these amazing individuals is their passion for the sport,” the league’s founder, Steve Kuhn, said.
Financial details weren’t made public. Anne Worcester says that the team fees have risen by a factor of seven while demand has surged dramatically.
According to the 2022 Sports & Fitness Industry Association Single Sports Report on Pickleball, there were more than 4.8 million players of the paddle sport in the US last year. By 2030, the league wants to have 40 million pickleball players, according to Kuhn.
More Details
According to those who know the situation, Brady and Knighthead Capital owner Tom Wagner started playing the sport four years ago. He enjoys playing with his kids and has thought about installing a pickleball court at home. As he considers the next phase of his entrepreneurial career, Brady thinks it’s a wise investment.
Clijsters revealed to CNBC that she started playing pickleball after giving up tennis and does so frequently with her business associates. She hasn’t played with Brady yet.
Because pickleball is so accessible, the Belgian tennis pro says she thinks it’s a wise investment and adores the idea of men and women playing together.
It’s not simple for her to play tennis with her spouse and my kids. But they can all play an enjoyable game when she plays pickleball, she remarked.
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