Patty Mills joins Steve Smith in owning Australian Major League Pickleball team

Sporting megastars including LeBron James started the trend of investing in a new sport and now Aussie stars are joining in.

Patty Mills now owns a pickleball team. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

What do Aussie NBA star Patty Mills, tennis gun Nick Kyrgios and cricket run machine Steve Smith have in common?

They are now all part-owners of Australian Major League Pickleball teams.

Basketball great Mills is the latest Australian sports star to join an ownership craze that has become common in the US, putting his name and money behind the Brisbane Breakers.

It comes after former Australian cricket captain Smith secured ownership rights of the Sydney Smash in Major League Pickleball Australia.

In the US, superstars including LeBron James, Naomi Osaka and Kyrgios have thrown their money and support behind a booming professional league there.

Currently playing for the Atlanta Hawks with his eyes on another medal with the Australian Boomers at the Paris Olympics, Mills said he believed in the “power of sport” and was happy to get involved.

“This opportunity is not just an investment in a team but in the future of the sport, the athletes who play it, and the community that supports it,” he said.

“I believe in the power of sport to inspire, unite, and create positive change, and I see the Brisbane Breakers as a pivotal part of this vision.

“Together, we aim to cultivate talent, foster a culture of excellence and make a lasting impact both on and off the court. I am excited to embark on this journey and contribute to writing a new chapter in Australian sport”.

Lessssgooo #BrisbaneBreakers! Proud to join the ownership team- let’s win some trophies🏆 #pickleball#brisbanepic.twitter.com/zhHHpICSd9

— Patrick Mills (@Patty_Mills) February 28, 2024

Coming into its second year, Major League Pickleball Australia is the official professional pickleball league of Australia and boasts a prize pool of more than $700,000 across six events in Australia, New Zealand and Asia.

A combination of tennis, badminton and ping pong, pickleball is played with paddles and a hollow, polymer ball on a court about a third of the size of tennis.

The league features 12 professional teams and opened last week in Sydney.

The next event of the season is scheduled for March 29-31 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Originally published as Patty Mills joins Steve Smith in owning Australian Major League Pickleball team