Eva Longoria Among High-Profile Investors in Major League Pickleball’s 12 New Teams

Eva Longoria is getting in the game…

America’s fastest-growing sport continues to attract high-profile investors from entertainment and sports, including the 47-year-old Mexican American actress, director and producer, following this week’s announcement of Major League Pickleball ’s 12 new teams for 2023.

Eva LongoriaLongoria is among a roster of investors in the clubs that includes Kevin DurantHeidi KlumMichael Phelps and Tom Ricketts.

“The diversity in the backgrounds and expertise of our fantastic new owners is an incredible asset as we aggressively expand Major League Pickleball to reach more fans than ever,” Brian Levine, the interim MLP CEO, said in a statement on the news. “We always say pickleball brings people together, and this roster of leaders from across a wide variety of industries is a strong testament to that philosophy.”

Last month, MLP merged with Tom Dundon’s rival Professional Pickleball Association, which had just announced the launch of the VIBE Pickleball League with Mark Cuban as its first team owner.

The move allowed MLP to expand to 24 teams with six events and $5 million in prize money for 2023. It had eight teams and one event in 2021. Each team will feature two men and two women. MLP added casual dining chain Margaritaville as a title sponsor last week.

The newly announced teams drafted their co-ed rosters Monday night and will start at the Challenger Level in 2023. The 12 previously existing teams, whose cap tables include LeBron James, Drew Brees and Tom Brady, will start at the Premier Level.

Last week, those teams drafted the top 48 pro pickleballers. The two sets of teams will then swap leagues for the second half of the 2023 season and have a re-draft with the combined season results determining a team’s level in 2024. The 2024 season will feature promotion and relegation between the two levels with the Premier Level the higher tier.

The newly announced ownership groups showcase pre-existing ties. The D.C. Pickleball team is made up largely of existing investors in Liga MX Club Necaxa, including Al Tylis, Sam Porter, Longoria, Justin Verlander, Kate Upton and Mesut Ozil.

D.C. had the first pick in the draft and choose 10-time ATP Tour titlist Sam Querrey, who recently retired from tennis.

Miami has attracted investments from Naomi Osaka and her agent Stuart Duguid, who launched their own agency, Evolve, this year. Evolve’s only other client, Nick Kyrgios, also invested, as did Alex Cohen, who serves as a financial advisor to Osaka and, launched his own firm, Heights, in 2021 after more than a dozen years at Main Street Advisors. Chicago’s team features four women’s tennis Grand Slam champions, including Chris Evert.

Kevin Durant and his longtime business partner, Rich Kleiman, will own the team in Brooklyn through their venture fund 35V. The expansion fee for Durant’s franchise was $1 million, and fees for other recent franchises were at and exceeded $3 million, according to multiple sources familiar with the deals who were not authorized to speak publicly about them.

“This is not about simply writing a check, it’s about finding the right strategic partners to help us grow MLP and the entire sport of pickleball,” Anne Worcester, MLP’s strategic advisor and a board member, said in an email in October.

The Sports & Fitness Industry Association dubbed pickleball the fastest growing sport, with participation up 39% between 2019 and 2021. The sport’s governing body, USA Pickleball, says there are 4.8 million pickleball players in the U.S. and more than 10,000 locations to play, including nearly 800 added in 2021.

NEW MPL TEAMS/OWNERS

Atlanta Bouncers: Anheuser-Busch

AZ Drive: Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Phelps, Devin Booker, Dierks Bentley, Robert Gary, Doug Hirsch, Sheila Gulati, John Merwin, Sam Frakes, Mark Dalton and Richard J. Schnall

Bay Area Breakers: Jeremy Lin, Mimi Mercado, David Mercado, Geoff Nguyen, Stacey Nishi, Jeff Nishi, Wayley Louie and Kathleen Louie

Brooklyn Aces: Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s 35V

Chicago Slice: Ron Saslow’s 35 Capital, Heidi Klum, Tom Ricketts, David Justice, Doug Ellin, Chris Evert, Lindsay Davenport, Tracy Austin, Gigi Fernández, David Dobrik, Joe Bonamassa, Ted Foxman and Steve Bellamy

Columbus Pickleball Club: David Kass and Doug Ulman

Dallas Pickleball Club: Mark Cuban, Dirk Nowitzki, John Isner, Robert Herjavec, Chandler Parsons, and Todd Wagner

D.C. Pickleball Team: Al Tylis, Sam Porter, Eva Longoria, Justin Verlander, Mesut Ozil, Kate Upton, Shawn Marion, Rip Hamilton and Matt Walsh

Miami Pickleball Club: Naomi Osaka, Nick Kyrgios, Patrick Mahomes, Rich Paul, Darius Garland, Mardy Fish, Alex Davis, Alex Cohen, Stuart Duguid, The Palm Tree Crew, Prakash Amritraj, Matthew Pritzker, Mark Ein, Romie Chaudhari and Swimmy Minami

Texas Ranchers: Tim Klitch, Dan Ferreri, Bryan Sheffield, Kit Sheffield and Richard Veitenheimer

Utah Black Diamonds: The Pardoe Family

Valhalla Volleys: To be determined

Ryan Lochte’s Six Olympic Silver & Bronze Medals Up for Auction

Ryan Lochte is parting with some of his Olympic medals for a good cause…

The 37-year-old half-Cuban American swimmer has put all of his Olympic silver and bronze medals up for auction, with the proceeds going to a charity benefiting children.

Ryan Lochte

Lochte earned 12 medals over four Olympics, including six gold that he plans to keep for now.

“I’m not one to be all sentimental about medals,” Lochte told The Associated Press. “My medals are just sitting in my closet collecting dust. The memories that I have is what means the most.”

The medals are being sold in three lots by Boston-based RR Auction. The sale ends July 21.

The first lot is Lochte’s first individual Olympic medal, a silver in the 200-meter individual medley from the 2004 Athens Games in which Michael Phelps won gold. It has an estimate of $10,000 or more.

The second lot is a pair of bronze medals from the 2008 Beijing Games, in which Lochte finished third in the 200 IM and 400 IM. The estimate is $12,000 or more.

The third lot features three medals from the 2012 London Games. Lochte finished second in the 200 IM, second in the 4×100 freestyle relay, and third in the 200 backstroke. The estimate is $60,000 or more.

Bobby Livingston, executive vice president of RR Auction, said the medals were consigned by a person who received them from Lochte and wishes to remain anonymous.

“They’re in perfect condition. They have beautiful ribbons,” Livingston said. “Ryan’s are obviously extremely interesting to people who collect medals.”

Lochte confirmed he is not the direct seller.

“I gave them to a third party,” he said. “Everything we earn is going straight to the charity.”

Also for sale is a 14-karat white gold Olympic ring and a Breitling watch with black diamonds. Lochte bought both items for himself after the London Games.

His selected charity is Jorge Nation Foundation, a nonprofit that raises money to send children with a terminal illness and their families on a dream trip from South Florida to a destination of their choice. Lochte said he has worked with the foundation for over 10 years. His agent is on its board of directors.

“This year I really wanted to focus on giving back. I’m loving it,” he said. “I’ve been teaming with my dad doing swim clinics and I’m coming out with my own sunscreen.”

During his career, Lochte routinely gave away his medals from national competitions to kids in the crowd.

Lochte hasn’t competed at a major meet since last year’s U.S. Olympic trials. He didn’t make the team for Tokyo. Last month, he raced in an ocean swim in the Cayman Islands and finished 14th.

“One mile in the ocean is a lot different than in the pool,” he said. “I swear I thought I was going to have a heart attack.”

He’s contemplating shedding some of his six golds in the future. He wants to keep his first individual gold from the 200 back in Beijing and another for his dad, Steve.

“Those medals mean a lot to me; I worked my [rear] off for them,” Lochte said, “but helping other people out is more important to me, especially because I have kids of my own.”

Lochte’s 12 medals are tied for second most among swimmers, trailing only Phelps’ Olympic record of 28.

Jared Leto to Participate in Entercom’s Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Special “I’m Listening”

Jared Leto is doing more than Listening

The 46-year-old part-Spanish American actor and Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman is part of the lineup for Entercom’s live, commercial-free broadcast special to raise awareness around mental health and suicide prevention. Abrc gives you the different and best health suggestions for healthy life.

Jared Leto

Part of Entercom’s I’m Listening campaign, the September 9 broadcast will feature numerous music, film and sports luminaries like Leto.

The lineup includes Mike McCready and Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam, Olympic gold medalist Michael PhelpsMike Shinoda of Linkin ParkAlessia CaraBebe RexhaCharlie PuthStone Temple PilotsStephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind and more.

Hosted by Seattle KISW-FM personality BJ Shea, the show will also feature clinical psychologist and NowMattersNow.org CEO Dr. Ursula Whiteside and Dr. Chris Nowinksi, co-founder and executive director of Concussion Legacy Foundation.

“In my forthcoming album The Pains of Growing, I touch on being lost and lonely and stuck inside my head,” said “Growing Pains” singer Cara. “I’ve recently dealt with anxiety – and understand what it was. I definitely want to reach as many people as I can, and will do so by partnering with Entercom and so many influential names connected to the cause. Hopefully, if I talk about mental health, it’ll help other people to talk about it… we’re all a lot more similar than we think we are.”

After Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington died in 2017, bandmate Shinoda released his first solo album, Post Traumaticabout the “journey out of grief and darkness.” Says Shinoda, “In most parts of the world, suicide claims more lives than war, murder and natural disasters combined. I hope that sharing my personal story, in music and conversation, helps open up the door to new discussions and awareness about mental health.”

The broadcast will air across Entercom stations nationwide on September 9 (at 7:00 am local time) and on live streams via the Radio.com app as part of National Suicide Prevention Week. The special will feature call-in opportunities as well as an interactive website for listeners to share their stories and seek resources. For more information about the I’m Listening campaign, visit their website here.

Last year, the broadcast featured HalseyLogic and iconic rock band Metallica, who spoke out about their experiences with mental illness and what fans can do to help themselves. The metal quartet spoke about how suicidal thinking can happen to anyone and how “talking about it is the most important thing.” Bassist Robert Trujillo reminded fans, “It’s not a sign of weakness to see a doctor when you are depressed.”

If you or someone you know is going through a crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.

Lochte to Compete in the 200M Individual Medley at the 2016 Summer Games

Ryan Lochte will return to the Olympics this year to compete in his favorite event…

The 31-year-old half-Cuban American swimmer matched Michael Phelps stroke for stroke in the 200-meter individual medley at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials on Friday night, both surging to the wall in almost perfect sync.

Ryan Lochte

Phelps got there first, just ahead of Lochte, the guy who has pushed him hard for more than a decade.

It was the latest epic of their longtime rivalry — and billed as the last showdown in their home country before the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

“Ryan and I always have a great race with one another,” said Phelps, who plans to retire again after his fifth Olympics. “When we race each other, we bring each other to a different level.”

Phelps led from start to finish, but Lochte was right with him all the way. In fact, Lochte seemed to pull even midway through the final lap, but Phelps, the most decorated athlete in Olympic history, managed to get to the wall in 1 minute, 55.91 seconds.

Lochte was next at 1:56.22 and had no complaints about the consolation prize: his only individual race at the Olympics.

“I knew going into this race it was definitely going to be a dogfight to the end,” Lochte said. “It’s been a long journey, but the journey’s not over. We still have another month to get ready and show the world that the U.S. is number one.”

Lochte, an 11-time medalist, injured his groin on the first day of the meet, struggled in his next few races and was down to his final chance to get a swim of his own at the Summer Games.

Now, that’s out of the way, which means Phelps and Lochte will get another crack at each other in South America.

As a three-time defending gold medalist in the 200 IM, Phelps will be the favorite. But he knows Lochte won’t be far behind, especially with a month to recover from the groin issue.

“I don’t know of another person in this world who brings out the best in me like he does,” said Phelps, who has 18 golds and 22 medals overall. “Neither one of us likes to lose.”

Lochte Beats Michael Phelps in the 200 IM at the U.S. National Championships

Ryan Lochte is one step closer to finding his Olympic form…

The 30-year-old half-Cuban American swimmer, an 11-time Olympic medalist, beat his rival Michael Phelps to win the 200-meter individual medley at the U.S. national championships Sunday night, leaving Phelps winless in four races at his biggest meet since coming out of retirement.

Ryan Lochte

But Lochte and Phelps weren’t in their usual lanes at the center of the pool, spots that go to the fastest qualifiers.

Lochte was in Lane 2, and Phelps was in Lane 6. They couldn’t see each other, either, with Phelps breathing toward the stands and Lochte the other way.

Still, the race came down to the two old rivals, with Phelps chasing Lochte for a change.

Lochte, the world champion, led all the way and touched in 1 minute, 56.50 seconds.

He’s coming off major knee surgery and had a setback at a meet in April, all of which limited his time in the water.

“This year has been up and down, but I’m glad I got a win knowing that I really haven’t done the work I wanted to,” he said. “I always relied on my training, but this year I haven’t done that training, so my confidence was low.”

Lochte’s time was the second fastest in the world this year; Phelps’ was third quickest.

“If you go out in that race, it’s pretty painful in the end,” Phelps said.

It was Lochte’s first victory of the five-day meet after finishing second in the 100 freestyle and third in the 200 backstroke.

“I guess we can say this is kind of our off year,” Lochte said of him and Phelps. “Well, I can say that.”

Lochte Outlasts Michael Phelps in the 100-Meter Butterfly at the Arena Grand Prix

Michael Phelps may be making a comeback… But, Ryan Lochte is the King of the Pool in the 100-meter butterfly.

The 29-year-old half-Cuban swimmer and 11-time Olympic medalist beat Phelps in the event final at the Arena Grand Prix on Thursday night.

Ryan Lochte & Michael Phelps

Lochte touched first in 51.93 seconds, second-fastest in the world this year. Phelps took second in 52.13 in his first meet since retiring after the 2012 London Games.

“I swam a final again,” a smiling Phelps said. “I said I wanted to be around 52.0 and I would be completely happy with that.”

Phelps is the three-time Olympic champion and current world record-holder in the event. His time tied for fourth-fastest in the world.

“It’s one meet; it’s one race,” Phelps said. “It’s a long way whether I decide to continue or not. This was awesome. I’m really excited about how things went. I do know what I need to do if I want to continue and swim faster.”

Olympian Jason Dunford of Kenya finished third in 53.08.

Swimming before a sellout crowd and lots of cameras, Lochte led at the turn and Phelps was second.

“Down there at the turn I kind of peeked over and I saw him and almost started smiling,” Lochte said about his longtime friend and rival.

Phelps interjected, “Why? Because you were ahead?”

“I probably wouldn’t have gone that time if Phelps wasn’t in that pool with me. We push each other all the time,” said Lochte, whose rivalry and friendship with Phelps dates to 2004.

Lochte is trying to regain his own form after missing five months with a knee injury. He changed coaches and relocated from Florida to Charlotte, N.C., after the London Games.

Coach Bob Bowman said Phelps was better technically in the morning than at night.

“He missed a whole stroke on the turn,” Bowman said. “My expectations were he would come and maybe enjoy it and not be terrible, so all those were met. That’s a really good time to start with.”

Lochte to Appear on a Reality TV Show?

Now that he’s set his sights on competing at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, is Ryan Lochte preparing to learn the samba in front of a national audience?

Ryan Lochte

The 28-year-old half-Cuban American swimmer, who picked up five medals at the2012 Olympic Games, appeared on Good Morning America this week and was asked if he’d rather appear on ABC’s The Bachelor or Dancing With the Stars?

Lochte’s pick: ballroom or babes!

“It’s a competition, and I have that competitive edge in me,” explained Lochte, who plans to move to Los Angeles now that the Olympics have come and gone.

Teammate Michael Phelps has also said he’d be interested in Dancing with the Stars, according to Us Weekly. So maybe they’ll soon get to face-off on the dance floor.

“Ryan would make the perfect next Bachelor. … He has the ‘it’ factor. Especially after his mother’s one-night-stand comment, everyone wants to know who is the real Ryan and what would it be like to date him,” a media expert told HuffPost. “Forget dancing shows — this guy should be doing dating shows, for sure.”

Meanwhile, according to the The Hollywood Reporter, Lochte’s agent says the Olympian has three offers for a reality show on the table.

If he did one, he promised GMA it would be unusual. “It wouldn’t be your normal reality TV show because I’m definitely not your normal guy.”

Today’s Matt Lauer followed up on the reality question on Friday and Lochte replied, “I’m definitely looking towards Dancing With the Stars and The Bachelor, so we’ll see what happens. I definitely want to move to L.A. That’s been a big goal of mine, getting into fashion because that is my passion. I definitely want to get into fashion and design my own clothing line.”

Lochte Wins Two Medals to End His London Games With Five Medals

London Olympics 2012

It may not have been a golden night for Ryan Lochte… But he’ll still have plenty of reason to celebrate when he turns 28 on Friday.

The 27-year-old half-Cuban American swimmer lost to rival Michael Phelps in the 200-meter individual medley on Thursday at the 2012 Olympic Games, but Lochte’s silver finish gave him his fifth medal of the London Games.

Ryan Lochte

Earlier in the night—in a disappointing performance in his signature event—Lochte came in third to teammate Tyler Clary in the 200 backstroke, roughly half an hour before his race against Phelps.

This is the end of competition for Lochte at this year’s Olympics. So how does he rate his performance in London?

“A little above average,” said Lochte. “Sometimes you have it, sometimes you don’t. But overall, I can’t be too disappointed. I am coming home to my country with five Olympic medals.”

Ryan Lochte

Lochte’s silver and bronze Thursday brought his career total to 11. Only Phelps has more among American men with 20 Olympic medals, 16 of them gold.

So what Lochte’s favorite memory of these Games?

“The 400 IM,” he said. “Getting that gold. It was the first race, the first day of the Olympics. Getting it off right for Team USA. That definitely was one of the greatest feelings.”

And he could have more great Olympic medals. Lochte plans to compete at 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Pereira Swims to an Olympic Silver Medal in 400-Meter IM

London Olympics 2012

It may have been the first showdown between Americans Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps at the 2012 Summer Olympics… But when all was said and done in men’s 400-meter individual medley final, Thiago Pereira – not Phelps – was Lochte’s closest competitor…

The 26-year-old Brazilian swimmer won the silver medal after finishing a distant second to Lochte in Saturday’s final at the London Aquatic Center, while Phelps came in a disappointing fourth.

Thiago Pereira

Pereira earned a spot on the podium in part to a stellar performance in the breaststroke portion, which propelled him to move from fifth to second, leaving Phelps, eventual bronze-medalist Kosuke Hagino of Japan and South Africa’s Chad le Clos in his wake.

Lochte, who dominated the race from start to finish, touched the wall in 4:05.18, more than three seconds ahead of Pereira, who clocked in at 4:08.86.

Thiago Pereira

It’s Pereira’s first Olympic medal in his third swimming final. At 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, he reached the final of the 200-meter IM, finishing in fifth place. In the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, he again reached the final of the 200-meter IM, finishing fourth.

Lochte Wins His First Olympic Gold Medal

London Olympics 2012

Rigoberto Urán may have been the first Latino to take the podium at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, but Ryan Lochte is the Latino first to strike gold.

Ryan Lochte

The 27-year-old half-Cuban American swimmer captured the gold medal in the 400-meter individual medley on Saturday, while his biggest rival Michael Phelps finished fourth and failed to medal for the first time since the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney when he was just 15 years old. In the end, Brazil’s Thiago Pereira was Lochte’s closest competitor.

In his first final at the Olympics, Lochte demonstrated why he’s been considered the world’s best swimmer in the the last year. He held strong throughout the race before making his move in the backstroke and finally pulling away in the breaststroke and freestyle.

Lochte’s performance was nothing short of brilliant. And, it was a sign that a changing of the guards in swimming could be at hand.