'Insanity!' Dallas Mavs' Luka Doncic Watches Dirk Nowitzki Beat Jason Kidd In Celebrity Pickleball Showdown
DALLAS - Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic smiled down from a suite as his coach Jason Kidd and Hall-of-Famer Dirk Nowitzki battled on the pickleball court, broadcasted on prime time on ESPN.
The fastest-growing sport in America is taking over the Dallas area this week. The 2023 USA Pickleball National Championship will host 4,000 pro and amateur players from 49 states.
The saying 'Everything is Bigger in Texas' holds true as the tournament is now the largest-ever pickleball tournament.
At the center of the pickleball universe this week, a spirited celebrity showdown featuring Nowitzki. The Dallas Maverick NBA champion and 14-time NBA All-Star can add another title to his list of accolades: besting fellow 2011 NBA champion, Coach Kidd on the pickleball court.
Nowitzki and professional tennis star John Isner kicked off the event vs. PGA World No.1 Scottie Scheffler and Kidd.
The result? A battle with dinks, slams and a lot of smiles... plus a Nowitzki and Isner victory.
"For me the amazing thing is to see how far this thing has come ... This is like rockstar level," said Dirk before taking the court. "I'm super-impressed with the set-up, how many players are here. It is insanity on another level, how big this sport has gotten."
Nowitzki smiled: "There is some amazing pickleball talent and I'm not one of them."
On the call was four-time Pro Bowl quarterback and current CBS Sports color analyst Tony Romo. He joked on the broadcast that the biggest thing he learned is he "can't compete with any of these players."
Nowitzki joked that Kidd was unprepared because he's "busy right now." And that when Kidd found out the pickleball game was live on ESPN, "he almost pulled out."
Former Dallas Stars goalkeeper Marty Turco and some of the best pro players in the world also competed in the fun.
While the PPA tour is based in Dallas, many athletes traveled from all over the country to compete. Southern-Oregon based pickleballer Grant Jantzer and is one of the athletes who will compete on the 80-plus courts in front of an expected crowd of 25,000 attendees this week.
"So many of the other tournaments are often treated as stepping stones leading up to Nationals," Jantzer said. "Shots were a little off? Decision making less than ideal? Oh well. Head back home and do more work for the next one. Well that ends here."
Jantzer traveled with his wife, Jessica, and their five-year-old and eight-year-old daughters, who were literally jumping for joy for the opportunity to watch their dad compete.
The country club transformed into a pickleball paradise with $5 million worth of renovations completed, highlighted by ‘Pickleball Boulevard.' The street boasts activities, shops, food and drink inspired by Texas and live music every night.
The tournament is located at the Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, running from Nov. 5-12. Tickets are available for all games except for the Nov. 12 finals, which are already sold out.
