After years of the “athletes can’t be businessmen” notion, the conception is getting a radical makeover. Whether it be legends of the sport like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal or current superstars like Kevin Durant and LeBron James, the idea of an athlete finding success after basketball isn’t as crazy as it once was. But, in this trend, one common denominator has been investments in other sports. The names above, along with others like Magic Johnson have made this an avenue to thrive in. But, the younger crop of NBA superstars is also taking note.

As a result, the latest investment by Trae Young, following KD’s footsteps, wasn’t a complete shocker.

Trae Young follows the Kevin Durant trajectory

There is one way in which the Trae Young and KD trajectory is different from the ones that came before. While the likes of Magic have set up shop in pre-existing markets like the NFL, or even baseball, these two are betting on a sport in its infancy.

Taking to his Instagram page, Trae made the news official. Signing a major investment, Young became a co-owner of the Major League Pickleball franchise, the Atlanta Bouncers. Sticking to the city he’s come to call his own, Trae’s off-court commitment could spell an end to all the trade rumors from the Atlanta Hawks.

A relatively “young” sport, Pickleball came into existence in 1965. Since then, its popularity has seen a steady increase, especially in the Pacific Northwestern region. However, soon it surged to remarkable highs demanding the formation of its own major league. Today, more than 4.8 million players take part in the sport that is the fastest-growing in the entire country according to the Sports and Fitness Association for 3 consecutive years.

The aforementioned LeBron James, along with close friends like Draymond Green and Kevin Love have also taken up an active interest in the league. Joining them and KD, Ice Trae?plans to be an active part of the club’s proceedings.

While his investment was into an active team, Durant was far more innovative in his approach.

Kevin Durant’s expansion

The move to the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 brought along with it a wealth of options for the 2-time NBA Champion. Even though his on-court work was excellent, the bigger market saw a significant uptick in his off-court activities as well.

Read More: After LeBron James and Tom Brady, Kevin Durant Becomes the Latest Athlete To Invest in a Sport Played by Just 4.8 Million Americans

As a part of that deal, was his investment into pickleball. Instead of choosing an active team, he along with his “Thirty-Five Ventures” chose to bring in their own expansion team. From the city he was calling home at the time, the Brooklyn Aces came into existence. Further, Kevin has since made it clear that his involvement will be extremely active.

“[Pickleball] was a small passion that?s just gonna keep building ? We?re gonna be operating this ourselves, being tasked with building this brand from the ground up? It should be a fun project.”?

With its surging popularity, rapid expansion, and active investors, pickleball is quickly becoming a must for sports fans across the country. It might not be long before America has a Big 5 in its sports directories.

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