Slam Dunk Into Pickleball: NBA Star Trae Young Scores Co-Ownership Of Atlanta Bouncers

Atlanta Hawks star point guard Trae Young is the latest athlete to take their talents to the world of pickleball by way of ownership.

Young joined the ranks of players who have invested in the sport when he announced co-ownership of the Atlanta Bouncers, the city’s major league pickleball team.

“Atlanta! Proud to announce I’m the new co-owner of the @AtlantaBouncers,” Young said via Twitter. “Come help me #backthebouncers at the first @majorleaguepb tournament of the year on Sep 22-24.”

Considered by enthusiasts to be the “fastest-growing sport” in the country, the Washington-born sport has caught the eye of some of the biggest athletes in the world, including LeBron James, Naomi Osaka, Patrick Mahomes, and Draymond Green.

Atlanta! Proud to announce I’m THE NEW CO-OWNER of the @AtlantaBouncers

Come help me #BackTheBouncers at the first@majorleaguepb tournament of the year on Sep 22-24 pic.twitter.com/mYvUpdRji8

— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) September 20, 2023

The sport has grown in popularity in recent years, with the Association of Pickleball Players reporting over 30 million professional pickleball players in the country as of January 2023. Interest in the sport can be attributed to the ease of play, making it a game many can participate in. Less technical than tennis and more social than ping pong, pickleball allows players to burn calories in a fun way without overextending physically. The size of the playing area, generally four times smaller than that of a traditional tennis court, also allows for ease in communication between those looking to find fresh ways to connect with their loved ones and their opponents. It’s also a sport that can be played indoors, with no adjustment needed between seasons.

As with any popular sport, making pickleball accessible to all has raised its fair share of challenges. Among them is noise in residential neighborhoods where the sound of the paddles reverberate off of buildings, sending echoes throughout the streets. A group of residents in a Massachusetts city filed a lawsuit against the zoning board of appeals over the “daily injurious and obnoxious noise levels” emanating from nearby pickleball courts.