Whether it’s rallying in their backyard, on a stage, by the ocean, or at a club, celebrities across all industries—from modeling to music—are getting in on pickleball and showing their love for the sport. Here’s the latest crop of celebrities unabashedly promoting pickleball, wherever they may play.
PRESIDENTIAL PICKLEBALL
In October, former president George W. Bush took a side seat at some PB courts in Maine to watch NFL star Drew Brees play with his brother Jeb Bush and pickleball trainer Matt Manasse, otherwise known as the “pickleball coach to the stars” in Los Angeles. Brees, who spent most of his career playing for the New Orleans Saints, is now an analyst for Football Night in America. Manasse organized a pickleball activity as a recreational start to the conference Jeb Bush’s investment firm, Finback, was holding in Main
STAGE PLAY
Country music singer Brett Eldredge showed off his multitasking skills when he sang “My Girl” on stage November 6 at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York, while playing pickleball with his tour mates, including Morgan Evans. Not to be confused with the top pro player, this Morgan Evans is an Australian country singer. Evans led fellow tour mates onto the stage with a net they held up while the others began rallying. A surprised Eldredge—who has been playing the sport since 2017—quickly got in on the action and grabbed a paddle. Or as Evans explains in a video of the escapade that he tweeted out that evening: “We’ve been playing pickleball a lot on this tour, and Brett was kind enough, as an end-of-tour gift, to gift us a pickleball set, so…we are going to go on stage tonight to play pickleball.”
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Last autumn, supermodel Cindy Crawford shared news with Architectural Digest of a pandemic upgrade to her family’s Malibu, California, home. “The big thing that we did was add a pickleball court. It was a little thing that brought people together in a fun way,” said Crawford, adding that cooking was another big family activity during lockdown. “Those were some of the hidden blessings of this last crazy year and a half.”
ENTHUSIASM FOR PICKLEBALL
In episode five of this season’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David—who plays a semi-fictitious version of himself—gives a shout-out to pickleball, a sport David plays in real life. “I joined for the golf,” his character says when asked why he became a member of the country club. “And you know what? I am enjoying pickleball, too. Have you played?” he asks a fellow club member in the episode.
