OSDB Sports caught up with Dallas Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban on the streets of New York today. Cuban, a serial entrepreneur and charismatic media personality, was hustling as usual. The self-made billionaire told us that he’s interested in investing in the burgeoning sport of Pickleball. Cuban has a friend who is running a professional Pickleball organization, and he’s offered to help him out with the business.

Earlier this month, pro Pickleball hit prime TV for the first time ever, and Cuban was one of several movers and shakers that helped to promote CBS’s virgin voyage. Former Arizona Cardinals’ WR Larry Fitzgerald and Dr. Phil also promoted Pickleball’s debut on CBS. The inaugural broadcast reached an estimated 621,000 people, and this captivating dink and dunk sport is truly taking the world by storm. 

Pickleball is tennis-like in nature, played inside or outside, singles or doubles, using a paddle to hit a plastic ball back and forth over the net. L.A. Lakers’ superstar LeBron James recently hit the news regarding his purchase of a professional Pickleball team. James joined an ownership group, along with Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors and Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and together they bought into Major League Pickleball (MLP). The word is out, and smart money is on Pickleball. 

As of 2021, this addictive sport was estimated to have 4.8 million players in the U.S., meaning that “membership” almost doubled in less than five years. Mark Cuban is not the type of person to let a great opportunity slip past him. When asked what his largest regrets in business have been, Cuban immediately said that he regretted letting Steve Nash go from the Mavs, and that he should’ve invested in Spikeball when he had the chance. It seems that Pickleball will not find itself on Cuban’s short list of laments. Perhaps Cuban is using forward thinking in preparation for Luka Doncic’s second professional athletic career. We all want to work magic and stay ahead of the curve.