Yahoo News Michael B. Jordan and Drake Among New Round of Investors in Brooklyn Aces Pickleball Team
Major League Pickleball’s Brooklyn Aces have added some star power to the roster.
Drake and Michael B. Jordan have invested in the team as part of a new round of investors that includes tech, finance, business, sports and entertainment insiders in a move that is meant to grow the team’s brand presence, further engagement with the pickleball community and give the team a boost heading into the new season.
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Joining the music superstar and Hollywood multihyphenate as co-owners are UnitedMasters and Translation Founder and CEO Steve Stoute; CityPickle co-founders Mary Cannon and Erica Desai; LionTree chairman and CEO Aryeh Bourkoff and managing director Alex Michael; Baby2Baby co-CEO Kelly Sawyer Patricof; producer and Hunting Lane founder Jamie Patricof; Status Labs CEO Darius Fisher and CMO Jesse Boskoff; Winible.com CEO Noah Traisman; and Dynamic DNA Labs founder and CEO Austin O’Reilly. Terms of their investments were not disclosed.
“We’re thrilled to have this incredible group of investors join the Brooklyn Aces as we continue to grow the team and raise the profile of Major League Pickleball as a whole,” said Rich Kleiman, who serves as Boardroom CEO and, with partner Kevin Durant, is a majority owner of the Aces. “In addition to the marketing and creative acumen that Michael B. Jordan, Drake and Steve Stoute bring to the table, our investor group includes some of the savviest entrepreneurs in the business. We’re looking forward to what our second season brings.”
Speaking of, the Aces will hit the court for their next MLP tournament in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, from Sept. 21-24. The team will feature Catherine Parenteau (No. 2 world-ranked female) and Andrea Koop, alongside Hayden Patriquin and Tyler Loong (two-time MLP champion). Samin Odhwani has been tapped to serve as general manager for this season.
The investor news comes ahead of the Brooklyn Aces hosting its first youth-focused community event, Aces Day of Play, on Aug. 3. The event, mounted in partnership with PowerPlay NYC, will be held at the CityPickle courts in Union Square.
As for Jordan, coming off the success of his directorial debut, Creed III, his sports interests also include co-investor in the Alpine F1 Team and A.F.C Bournemouth football club. Drake serves as owner of OVO Sound. Major League Pickleball — branded as MLP by Margaritaville following an investment from Jimmy Buffett’s lifestyle brand — is the team-based professional pickleball league founded by Steve Kuhn in 2021 and comprised of 24 teams.
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