Major League Pickleball Concludes Season One after a Huge Off-Season of Headlines

Has Professional Pickleball captured the spirit of the fastest growing sport in the United States?

The fastest growing sport in the country had an amazing run of headlines these past few months and the eyes on Wall Street and Main Street have taken notice. With all the new investors and sponsors, the expectations have led to some amazing Pickleball action starting in Mesa, Arizona, then Daytona Beach, Florida and now to the final Major League Pickleball tournament of the year in the beautiful city of San Clemente, California.

Let’s break down what’s happened so far this past year:

• Lebron James builds on his investing success in early October
• Tom Brady joins the fun with Former World Tennis #1 Kim Clijsters
• Kevin Durant joins in on the fun by buying a team as well
• Anheuser-Busch Gets Into the Pickle Juice
• Huge Merger of MLP, PPA and the VIBE Pickleball Leagues
• Josh Allen and Jason Taytum become Team Owners
• ESPN2 comes on board to broadcast Premier Super Finals

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These legends of sports and their investment groups they represent have not only provided financial backing but also served as a catalyst for greater visibility and recognition. The involvement of such  high caliber athletes have generated substantial media coverage, attracting new fans and sponsors to the sport. Their endorsement of pickleball has helped dispel any lingering perceptions of it being just a recreational pastime, firmly establishing it as a legitimate sport deserving of attention.

Photo Credit: Bay Area Breakers

The question is now that they have the attention, what were they going to do with it?

It looks like plenty, as there are rising superstars, young cocky prospects, mid-season signings and burgeoning rivalries that are the essential pieces to the building of any sports league.

The 2023 season started off with a complete re-draft of all the players in the league, since there were new owners and the league wanted everyone to start off fairly. 

The 24 teams needed to build a 4 person squad comprised of two men and two women. 12 Teams would compete in the Premier Level and 12 teams compete in the Challenger level. 

Each 12 team division would yield amazing players and rivalries throughout the season starting in Mesa, Arizona where the LA Mad Drops and Bay Area Breakers came away as champs.

Now, each team has the ability to waive, trade, sign players before each tournament and that’s what makes this league so interesting to watch. 

Before the second tournament in Daytona Beach, MLP held the first “Shuffle Draft” of the year and the Columbus Pickleball Club picked up Jillian Braverman, who came out of retirement to share the showmanship that makes her a fan favorite.

California BLQK Bears

Daytona Beach gave us another exciting tournament with the Seattle Pioneers beating the California BLQK Bears for the Premier Championship and the Bay Area Breaks going back to back with another Challenger Championship with a win over the Dallas Pickleball Club.

This all led to the final weekend of season one with the LA Mad Drops hoping to lay down their dominance and the Bay Area Breakers looking for a clean sweep in the Challenger Level. Not only will the teams be competing in a regular tournament weekend, the season finale called the “Super Finals” will be played to determine the champions for the entire season based on a points system similar to NASCAR and PGA Golf.

Unfortunately for the Breakers, they lost to the Dallas Pickleball Club for the Tournament and then to the Chicago Slice for the Challenger Level Championship despite leading the standings in points all season. The LA Mad Drops weren’t able to make it to the Tournament Finals, but showed up for the Super Finals on Monday to win the season one championship over the Seattle Pioneers.

Photo Credit: Brian Lim

From its humble beginnings in a suburban backyard to the grand stage of the Major League Pickleball tournament, pickleball has undergone an extraordinary journey. With the support of partners like the Tennis Channel and ESPN 2, sponsors like Toyota and influential investors like Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Tom Brady, and Naomi Osaka, the sport has transitioned from obscurity to a global phenomenon.

As pickleball continues to evolve, it promises to captivate audiences with its unique blend of skill, strategy, and accessibility. The future of the game looks to be off to a good start.