[LAP-news] Pickleball investors

[Mark Rauterkus]

Thirty Five Ventures Latest to Invest in Major League Pickleball
<https://fos.cmail20.com/t/t-l-ahyhrg-jlhdtrtre-i/>
<https://fos.cmail20.com/t/t-l-ahyhrg-jlhdtrtre-d/>

Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports

The parade of celebrity pickleball investors rolls on.

Thirty Five Ventures — the investment firm founded by NBA superstar *Kevin
Durant* and entrepreneur Rich Kleiman — has purchased a *Major League
Pickleball* expansion team that will compete in the 2023 MLP season.

“35V is committed to investing in the future of sports and emerging
opportunities, and Major League Pickleball is a league we are incredibly
excited about,” said Kleiman. “As an avid pickleball player and fan, the
interest in the sport was a natural fit.”

MLP is the latest addition to 35V’s portfolio.

   - The company’s recent
   <https://fos.cmail20.com/t/t-l-ahyhrg-jlhdtrtre-b/> investments over the
   last few months include
   <https://fos.cmail20.com/t/t-l-ahyhrg-jlhdtrtre-n/> the *Premier
   Lacrosse League* and *Athletes Unlimited*.
   - Durant invested
<https://fos.cmail20.com/t/t-l-ahyhrg-jlhdtrtre-p/> in *League
   One Volleyball* last month.
   - Thirty Five Ventures also counts Goldin Auctions, Just Women’s Sports,
   Overtime, the Philadelphia Union, SeatGeek, Sleeper, The Players Tribune,
   and WHOOP among its sports investments.

League of Stars

Durant and Kleiman are the newest members of what’s becoming a large club
of celebrity athlete investors in MLP.

Last week <https://fos.cmail20.com/t/t-l-ahyhrg-jlhdtrtre-x/>, *Tom Brady*
 and *Kim Clijsters* led an ownership group that bought another one of the
expansion teams. Two weeks earlier
<https://fos.cmail20.com/t/t-l-ahyhrg-jlhdtrtre-m/>, *LeBron James* and
other NBA stars invested in one.

The league is expected to add four teams before the 2023 season — bringing
the league total to *16*. It is also increasing player prize money and
payouts to over $2 million.
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