Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Osaka, Nick Kyrgios and Rich Paul Join Forces to Lock Horns With Tom Brady, LeBron James and Kevin Durant in ‘America’s Newest Obsession’

Major League Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. MLP has already attracted a number of star athletes from across various sports. And now it seems like a few more renowned names are looking to join probably the next major league out there, including Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and tennis star Naomi Osaka. 

For those of you who are not aware of the sport, Pickleball is a combination of Ping-Pong, Tennis, and Badminton. It is played on a court similar to where one plays badminton. Invented way back in the 1960s, this sport is finally catching up with others.

Mahomes and Osaka join big names like Tom Brady

Some athletes that are already a part of the ownership in the league are players from the NBA, NFL, and stars from the tennis world. And now, according to reports, Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Osaka, Rich Paul, and Nick Kyrgios have joined forces to be part of the ownership team. 

These big names are reportedly looking to be part of the ownership team which will be based in Miami. Some other names said to be investing in the Miami franchise are Japanese businessman Soichiro Minami, and investor Matthew Pritzker.

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The team is set to debut next year. Currently, the MLP has a total of 12 teams in the league. When it started off, it had eight teams for its inauguration. Furthermore, it is set to add another 12 more by 2023. 

Some of the previous groups of owners are LeBron James who bought a team with Draymond Green and Kevin Love this year in September. Tom Brady and Belgian tennis star Kim Clijsters bought another team the following month. 

Not the first sports teams owned by Osaka or Mahomes

These purchases were followed by Kevin Durant being eager to be a part of it as well. He joined forces with businessman Rich Kleiman to buy an expansion team in October. However, these pickleball teams won’t be the first professional sports teams owned by Mahomes and Osaka.

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Patrick Mahomes already has stakes in MLB’s Kansas City Royals and MLS’ Sporting Kansas City. 

Osaka too has ownership in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Notably, she is the owner of North Carolina Courage. As the MLP craze continues to grow and its popularity expands, expect other big names to be a part of this upcoming league as well.  

Do you think pickleball will become a major sport in the US? Let us know in the comments below.