LeBron James made headlines this week when he and his longtime business partner were dating Outsider Carter announced that they are buying a professional pickleball team along with other NBA stars kevin love the Cleveland Cavaliers and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors.

LeBron’s acquisition of an official Major League Pickleball (MLP) team bodes well for the sport and the MLP, which will increase the number of teams from 12 to 16 for the 2023 season. The ownership group includes Carter and LeBron, based in Ohio LRMR ventures and New York’s SC stocks.

“Having SC Holdings, LRMR Ventures and their incredible group as owners and investors in Major League Pickleball is not only great for MLP, it’s a game changer for Pickleball generally,” said MLP Founder Steve Kuehn said.

The MLP isn’t the only group excited about LeBron’s passion for pickleball

Chris Clifford, Founder and CEO of Day One Beverages his team is happy too. In January 2022, Day One Beverages were the Official CBD Partner of USA Pickleballthe national governing body for sport.

“We’re thrilled that LeBron James is embracing the pickleball community and helping fuel the sport’s meteoric rise,” Clifford told Benzinga. “Day one focused on Pickleball because we saw a community of passionate people who wanted to bring fun, high-level athletic competition to more people.”

Nearly five million Americans by early 2022 regularly hit the pickleball courts, according to USA Pickleball, who described the game as “the fastest growing sport in the last two years,” with a growth rate of nearly 40% over the period.

“Young and unkempt” for all age groups

Notwithstanding the rapid growth, said Stu Upson, CEO of USA Pickleball said the game remains “young and gritty” even though it definitely spans generations — from teenagers to post-grandparents. And it’s mostly members of the bottom end of this demographic who are the…