Pickleball recently added another star name to its ever-growing list of admirers with the news that ex-Patriots and Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski, 33, was a big fan and keen participant. Well, Gronkowski has been sharing further evidence of his exploits on the court.
Rob broke the news in an interview with the celebrity and entertainment news organization TMZ.
“I beat my brother, Chris, who plays with pros, and my other brother, Gordon, who plays with pros too!” he told the channel. “And I beat ’em with an average Joe — my other brother, Glenn G., was my partner.”
It’s not the first time we’ve featured Gronkowski. His duel with Eli Manning was described in a previous article.
Just two football guys playing pickleball 😆 @EliManning | @RobGronkowski pic.twitter.com/BOMFIf0TL6
— New York Giants (@Giants) February 8, 2023
The larger-than-life (quite literally – his Wiki has him at 6’6” and 265 lb) is a hall of famer and is still making the news even after he retired from pro football – twice. His final retirement was in June last year.
“I’m happily retired. I’m still competing. I’m still winning, so I don’t even need to go back to football,” Gronkowski continued.
His controversial “Kick of Destiny” commercial, which aired during Superbowl LVIII, brought him back into the public eye, even if many weren’t really impressed with what transpired. He was filmed kicking a field goal, which he seemed to miss, leaving the whole thing in doubt.
Gronkowski was one of the most successful Tight Ends of all time. He won four Superbowls – three with New England and one with Tampa Bay. All, amazingly, in conjunction with the great Tom Brady, another pickleball enthusiast.
He may not be following in Brady and LeBron James’ footsteps by investing in any pro teams just yet. However, “Gronk” has been snapped playing pickleball at the Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club at Miromar Lakes, FL and spotted playing around Lakeland Heights, TX. Miromar is on the west coast of Florida at the same height as its east coast neighbor Miami, where Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios are joint owners of the Miami Pickleball Club.
No way, I’m at the same pickleball court as Rob Gronkowski 😂
— kat (@kathryn_marie12) April 22, 2022
The celebrity connections to pickleball just keep on coming.
Retired NFL legend Brady revealed that he had joined an ownership group of a Major League Pickleball (MLP) expansion club, along with tennis star Kim Clijsters. This news was followed shortly after by NBA superstar Kevin Durant announcing his investment in an MLP expansion outfit. Launched just this year, MLP is home to the sport’s premier division, consisting of 24 teams.
The excitement surrounding MLP has attracted interest from celebrities beyond sports as well. Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx has created his own paddle to sell, taking advantage of the demand. In addition, the Kardashians, George and Amal Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Stephen Colbert, and Bill Gates are all fans of the sport.
Interestingly, Microsoft’s billionaire founder was an early adopter of pickleball. He posted a video on social media explaining the rules of the game and wrote, “50 years ago, I started playing this little-known sport with a funny name. Now it’s all the rage.”
