Pickleball Craze Continues As Tom Brady Buys Team, Colbert To Host Celebrity Match

Luke KaneOct 12th, 2022, 5:18 pm

Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

Tom Brady has invested in a pickleball team for Major League Pickle Ball. Steven Colbert announced he will host a celebrity pickleball tournament.

Brady has teamed up with tennis legend Kim Clijststers to buy an expansion franchise in Major League Pickleball. Brady and Clijststers have joined a list of other athletes and celebrities who have invested in the MLP. Basketball stars LeBron James, Draymond Green, and Kevin Love have invested in an expansion team for MLP. Former Super Bowl champion Drew Brees, entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, and Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry also own MLP teams.

Clijststers released a statement about how ecstatic she was about the investment she made into this expansion team.

“Of course I’m excited at the investment opportunity. But what excites me the most about becoming an MLP owner is that I get to help shape the game of pickleball… I’m thrilled to help showcase professional pickleball and make an impact on the sport.”

Major League Pickleball will expand from 12 teams to 16 teams.

The pickleball craze has moved to late night television too. Steven Colbert, host of The Late Show on CBS, will host a celebrity pickleball tournament to benefit the non-profit Comic Relief.

Colbert made the announcement in a statement.

“If you love pickleball and you love celebrities and you love helping people, you’re going to love watching these celebrities help people by playing pickleball.”

The 16 celebrities who will participate in the even include Jimmie Allen, Murray Bartlett, Dierks Bentley, Jamie Camil, Will Ferrell, Max Greenfield, Luis Guzman, Phil Keoghan, Daniel Dae Kim, Sugary Ray Leonard, Tig Notaro, June Diane Raphael, Kelly Rowland, Paul Scheer, Aisha Tyler, and Emma Watson.