By Leocciano Callao, Dailymail.com
Updated at 22:55 on October 24, 2023, 22:55 on October 24, 2023
- The 41-year-old was named the team’s new strategic adviser on Tuesday
- Major League Baseball continues to attract big investors from across sports
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Pickleball is growing at an incredible rate in the United States, as evidenced by the A-list stars investing in major league pickleball franchises.
Rapper Lil Wayne became the newest member of the Texas Ranchers ownership group on Tuesday.
The Ranchers announced Lil Wayne’s partial ownership on social media and called the five-time Grammy winner a strategic advisor to the team, responsible for attracting fans to the team. Wayne will also develop apparel partnerships and spearhead the construction of pickleball courts in disadvantaged areas.
“We are excited to have Lil Wayne on board,” Ranchers CEO Evan Floersch said in a statement.
“From the beginning, we set out to build a pop culture-focused team that would support our mission to become one of the most recognized brands in American sports.”
Major League Pickleball concluded its inaugural season in 2021 with the finals broadcast on CBS Sports. The league has since attracted the likes of Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Naomi Osaka, Michael Phelps and LeBron James as franchise investors. In July, Front Office Sports reported that the MLP team was worth up to about $10 million.
As for the Rancheros, Lil Wayne is teaming up with Micah Parsons, Zach Bryan, Myles Garrett and CJ Stroud to create an MLP team.
Florsch added, “Wayne’s guidance, along with the other members of this incredible ownership group, underscores our position to redefine sports ownership and be a positive force in our local pickleball community and beyond.”
The 41-year-old rap legend also shared his excitement for his latest venture.
“Pickleball is this moment,” Lil Wayne said. “I enjoyed watching it and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to join this team of owners.”
While this is his first stake in a sports franchise, Lil Wayne is no stranger to business. In addition to being the founder and CEO of Young Money Entertainment, Lil Wayne has business ties to Beats by Dre, Bogey Cigars, TRUKFIT and Supra.