MLP Franchises in D.C. and Brooklyn Swap Naming Rights

Major League Pickleball (MLP) franchises, the Brooklyn Aces and D.C. Pickleball Team, have announced they are swapping naming rights.

What does this mean?

2024's D.C. Pickleball Team is rebranding as the Brooklyn Pickleball Team.

2024's Brooklyn Aces team is rebranding as the D.C. Pickleball Team.

This unique and strategic decision reflects the shared commitment of both ownership groups to strengthen their connection to their respective home markets and ensures that both organizations are well-positioned for sustained success.

The new D.C. Pickleball Team

The D.C. Pickleball Team was founded ahead of the 2023 MLP Season by Boardroom Sport Holdings’ Rich Kleiman and Kevin Durant.

Rich Kleiman is the Principal Owner of the D.C. Pickleball Team. He is best known as Co-Founder and CEO of Boardroom, Co-Founder and CEO of 35V, and Kevin Durant's long time agent and business partner.

“Our organization has created deep roots within the DC community over the years through the work of the Durant Family Foundation and Team Durant, and being able to bring our pickleball team to DC to create more connectivity just makes sense. We're excited to continue our work growing this team now as the D.C. Pickleball Team.” - Rich Kleiman, Principal Owner of the D.C. Pickleball Team

The team will be playing in the Challenger Level in 2025 with the following roster:

• Daniel De La Rosa
• Andrea Koop
• Mari Humberg
• Stefan Auvergne

The new Brooklyn Pickleball Team

The Brooklyn Pickleball Team was formed in December 2022, by an ownership group including Al Tylis, Sam Porter, Eva Longoria, Justin Verlander, Kate Upton, Rip Hamilton, Shawn Marion, Odell Beckham Jr., Cliff Avril and Mesut Ozil.

“We are incredibly grateful for the successful first two years we’ve had in Washington, D.C., and for the unwavering support of our amazing fans. Looking ahead to this next chapter in Brooklyn, we’re filled with excitement about the opportunity to grow the game and create new connections in the borough I was raised in and a city with such a rich sports culture. At the same time, we’ll continue collaborating with stakeholders to ensure that our time in D.C. leaves a lasting impact. We can’t wait to see both communities rally behind their teams as we embark on this exciting journey.” - Al Tylis, Principal Owner of the Brooklyn Pickleball Team

The team will be playing in the Premier Level in 2025 with the following roster:

• Rachel Rohrabacher
• Dekel Bar
• Riley Newman
• Jackie Kawamoto
• Hannah Blatt
• Pat Smith

Brooklyn also has Kyle McKenzie as Head Coach and Josh Gartman as General Manager.

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