While trading players or draft picks is a routine event in professional sports, an exchange involving the ownership of an entire sports franchise is notably uncommon.
However, in April, Major League Pickleball saw exactly that. The D.C. Pickleball Team and the Brooklyn Aces announced they were swapping franchise ownership rights ahead of the upcoming season. This effectively means the former owner of the Brooklyn team now holds ownership of the D.C. team, and vice versa.
Previously, the Brooklyn Aces were co-owned by Rich Kleiman of Boardroom Sport Holdings and NBA star Kevin Durant. The D.C. team`s ownership group included real estate investor Al Tylis and Sam Porter, who had prior experience as an executive with the MLS team D.C. United. Their group also featured other prominent athletes such as NFL receiver Odell Beckham Jr., former NBA players Rip Hamilton and Shawn Marion, and MLB pitcher Justin Verlander.
This type of ownership swap is rare in professional sports history. The most recent comparable instance occurred in 1978 when the NBA`s Boston Celtics and Buffalo Braves (now the Los Angeles Clippers) exchanged owners.
For Kleiman, this historical context wasn`t his primary focus during the process, but he acknowledges it adds a cool dimension to a move seen as beneficial for the league`s progression. He found the idea of such a move exciting, especially within a relatively new league like MLP.
The concept originated about two months prior when Tylis, a native of Coney Island, New York, proposed the idea to Kleiman via phone. Kleiman was initially surprised, uncertain if such a swap was even feasible, but upon hearing it, felt it immediately made strategic sense and was worth pursuing.
When Kleiman and Durant acquired the Brooklyn team in October 2022, Durant was still playing for the Brooklyn Nets. Kleiman, being from New York, appreciated the connection to the city. However, Durant was born in Washington, D.C., and maintains strong ties to the area through his foundation, Thirty-Five Ventures (35V).
Conversely, Tylis, the new Brooklyn general manager Josh Gartman, and chief operating officer Adam Behnke are all based in Brooklyn. Yet, their group also has significant connections to the D.C. area. Porter and Behnke were executives at D.C. United, where Tylis was also a part-owner at one point. These existing ties had already led their group to increase their focus and event hosting in the D.C. market.
Tylis explained that while they saw great fan engagement and community interest during events in the D.C. area, they realized the potential for building a grassroots following was much higher by being physically present in the market year-round, rather than just visiting. This led Tylis to consider Kleiman and Durant and propose the unique trade.
Kleiman himself was familiar with the D.C. area, having previously managed Washington native rapper Wale. However, Durant`s already established and significant presence in the region was the key factor that made the ownership swap particularly appealing to Kleiman.
The first person Kleiman consulted was Durant. As his manager since 2012 and business partner in 35V, Kleiman knew Durant`s perspective was crucial. Durant reacted positively on FaceTime, expressing his excitement and saying, “Yes, let`s do this in D.C.” Kleiman reaffirmed his own comfort and familiarity with the DMV area, but emphasized Durant`s deep connection to his hometown, his family being there, and the ongoing community work of his organization as the defining reasons why the decision was a clear “no-brainer.”
Kleiman then discussed the proposal with his other partners and engaged their investors and sponsors. While getting everything aligned took “a little bit of a process,” everyone ultimately supported the move. Kleiman and Tylis, who frequently play pickleball together, believe their mutual trust played a significant role in facilitating the smooth transaction. The proposal also required official approval from the board of directors of the United Pickleball Association, which oversees both Major League Pickleball and the Professional Pickleball Association.
Tylis believes that the benefits of the swap were quickly apparent to everyone involved. He described it as a mutually beneficial situation: “this is a win for Kevin, Rich and their crew. It`s a win for us, and it`s a win for the league.” Given that MLP only launched in September 2021, making such a strategic move early in its development can significantly contribute to its growth.
Comparing the league`s current stage to being in the top of the second inning of a baseball game, Tylis highlighted the flexibility and creative possibilities available. Both he and Kleiman are confident the ownership swap is a positive step for MLP`s future, enabling them to take a long-term view.
“Over the rest of the nine-inning game,” Tylis stated, “us being able to grow our fan base in New York, in Brooklyn in particular, is going to be far greater for the rest of this than it would be if we were in D.C. And I think the same is true for the now D.C. team.”
It`s still early days for both ownership groups to finalize concrete plans for their new franchises. However, the move aligns with a significant long-term vision Tylis has: establishing dedicated home courts for teams. Currently, MLP events rotate across six cities, rather than following a traditional home and away format. Tylis is convinced this will change as the league grows.
“I do believe that at the pace we`re growing and the interest in the sport and the growth in it that we`re going to get to a point where we all do have home facilities and courts,” Tylis said. He sees the Brooklyn move as an incremental step towards potentially building a stadium in their backyard that could serve as the Brooklyn team`s home base while also hosting other community pickleball events.
Tylis`s background in real estate positions him well to pursue facility development. Meanwhile, Kleiman is enthusiastic about the opportunity to introduce pickleball to new demographics and communities, particularly those where Durant has established a strong presence and continues to support through his foundation.
Marcus Bellamy