TO CELEBRATE GARY VEE’S BIRTHDAY, THIS NOVEMBER 14TH WE’RE CHANGING OUR NAME FOR THE DAY FROM MLP TO MLVEE!

While 364 days a year we may be MLP, today we’re excited to announce that on every November 14^th we will officially be changing our name to MLVee in honor of Gary Vee’s birthday.

Unless you’ve been living under a pickleball court you’ve no doubt heard of pop culture and media icon Gary Vee.

But in case you have (been living under a pickleball court), pull up a paddle and let us proclaim.

Gary Vaynerchuk, widely known as Gary Vee, is not just the man behind industry juggernauts VaynerX, VaynerMedia, and VeeFriends as well as one of the leading global minds on what’s next in culture, relevance, and the internet…he also happens to be a champion for the sport of pickleball and a foundational guiding force for MLP.

This April, Gary Vee alongside Ryan Harwood became co-owners of MLP team, The 5s, which they have built up into one of the most competitive and exciting contenders in Major League Pickleball. For Gary, The 5s is a labor of love, one that he has poured his heart into every aspect of, even down to its name.

As Gary puts it, “5 means the world to me in the context of sports as it was the first jersey number I received and wore when I came to the US. My mom knitted that jersey for me, and the number 5 has always been my favorite ever since. Now it’s on our MLP team and in our logo, alongside Competitive Clown, and I couldn’t be prouder to have that number, that means so much to me, as our team’s name.”

What’s most exciting about Gary Vee, is that he follows the mold of so many of our owners, in that he is not just a leader at the top of his game but a lover and player of our game on the pickleball court.

He ignited this passion when he first picked up a paddle and teamed up with Andy Roddick to take on partner Ryan Harwood and Andre Agassi at a charity event four years ago. From that moment he instantly recognized the joy the game brought him as a player and in his time since leading up to his ownership in MLP come to see the tremendous force of good that can come from this sport for so many others.

This insight has been foundational to the culture of The 5s.

“Ryan and I share a belief that pickleball can truly change lives – it’s a sport that engages people of all ages, and the athletes in our team are the hero figures that will inspire generations to come.”

Glad to have you on our team Gary Vee and couldn’t be more excited to wish you the happiest of birthdays this November 14^th!

Sincerely,

MLVee