Pickleball is one sport that took everyone by surprise. It has existed for over fifty years but stepped into mainstream media during the covid pandemic. Now, the sport sees investments by professionals from all fields. The paddle sport has grown by a huge margin, and the growth will not stop anytime soon. The way the sport has expanded has even led Billionaire Marc Lasry to believe that it can give bigger returns than one of the most lucrative sports in the world.

The Pickleball Slam, held in early April, also served to increase the sport’s popularity. The stadium was jam-packed, mainly due to the excitement of seeing tennis legends like McEnroe and Agassi compete.

Soaring popularity of pickleball attracts the attention of a billionaire

Trader Marc Lasry is a billionaire who always vouched for the return on NBA. He founded Avenue Team Money and has co-owned the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team since 2014. However, Lasry recently sold his stake in the team and made a surprising move. Instead of trying to invest in another NBA team, Lasry chose to go for the newly popular sport, pickleball.

Lasry reasoned that the paddle sport would have a better return on investment than NBA at the moment. “Pickleball 3 yrs back was [worth] $100,000. Today, it can be $10 million,” Lasry said. He is also unsure whether Bucks could grow at the same pace as the paddle sport.

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To show his support for the game, the billionaire even invested $100,000 in a pickleball team with former tennis star James Blake. “You can find substantial possibilities in athletics — but I consider those opportunities are in more compact groups.” The prophecy made by Lasry turned out to be true, as the expansion in the last few years has been wild.

Prophecy comes true

The advancements in pickleball since 2021 have turned Lasry’s words into reality. The slam of the paddle sport had a $1 million prize money for the winner. In December last year, a 12-year-old found her way into the Forbes 30 under 30 list. Additionally, the Las Vegas city council even announced its plan to create courts with an initial investment of $12 million.

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The sport has seen many advancements ever since it rose to popularity during the covid pandemic. While there is some unease in the hearts of tennis players, the paddle sport is on track to greatness.