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CNBC: NFL legend Drew Brees used to joke about training for pickleball.
Now he co-owns a pro pickleball team
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Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has joined the ownership group of a Major League Pickleball team.
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Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country.
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Brees joins a number of other high-profile owners who have become pickleball backers.
Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints. Gregory Shamus | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images.
Major League Pickleball announced Thursday that the one-time Super Bowl champion has joined the ownership group of the Austin, Texas, Mad Drops Pickleball Club.
The group also includes venture capital firm Good Alpha Industries, Los Angeles Lakers co-owner Jim Buss and Ryan Serhant of Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing New York.”
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“I am an avid pickleball player, fan and student of the game,” said Brees, who played 20 years in the NFL, in a statement. “I look forward to helping raise awareness around the incredible players and competitions in MLP, helping grow the sport of pickleball and fostering overall fan engagement.”
Brees, who retired from football in 2021, spent the past season working for NBC Sports as an analyst before they mutually parted ways. In the past, the former New Orleans Saints quarterback has made jokes about “joining the pickleball tour,” but his most recent move comes at a time when the sport has seen explosive growth.