LOTTO Invests Alongside Kevin Durant, Rich Kleiman, Drake & Michael B. Jordan in the Brooklyn Aces

With New Strategic Partnership, LOTTO Becomes First Athletic Brand to Co-Own a Professional Pickleball Team

NEW YORK, June 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- LOTTO®, premier Italian sports brand, announced today a strategic partnership with the Brooklyn Aces, joining owners Kevin Durant, Rich Kleiman, Drake and Michael B. Jordan. LOTTO will become the first athletic brand in the ownership group of a professional pickleball team. Additionally, LOTTO branding will be integrated into the Brooklyn Aces logo and on player apparel.

LOTTO joins forces with the Brooklyn Aces in a partnership that will also make the brand, established in 1973 and world-renowned for its innovative performance-driven footwear, apparel and accessories, the team's official apparel sponsor. The brand has a long and storied history in tennis and soccer, and has recently expanded into pickleball. In 2023, LOTTO announced a partnership with DICK's Sporting Goods to serve as the U.S. anchor retail partner for LOTTO's soccer and racquet sport products.

"With LOTTO's heritage in soccer and racquet sports, pickleball's explosion on the scene presents a natural opportunity for brand growth," said Jameel Spencer, Chief Marketing Officer, Fashion & Athletic Verticals, at WHP Global, which owns the LOTTO brand. "The ownership group assembled by the Brooklyn Aces offers a dynamic blend of culture and sports that makes this venture an exciting investment."

"We're incredibly excited to welcome LOTTO as part of the Brooklyn Aces team," said Boardroom CEO and Aces majority owner Rich Kleiman. "Not only are they committed to the growth of this team, but to the growth of pickleball as a whole."

The Brooklyn Aces recently entered their second year in Major League Pickleball. As the team's anchor product partner, LOTTO will provide the pickleball community with not only premier gear and apparel, but also continue to cement itself as a leader in the space going forward.

The Aces 2024 season kicked off earlier this month and consists of six tournaments. The team's full schedule and information on events and general updates can be found on their Instagram page (@BklynAces).

The partnership is subject to customary closing conditions.

High-resolution images of LOTTO x Brooklyn Aces can be found here.

About Brooklyn Aces
Brooklyn Aces, founded by Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman, is a Professional Pickleball team that competes in Major League Pickleball (MLP). Team minority owners include Grammy-winning artist Drake; actor and entrepreneur Michael B. Jordan; UnitedMasters and Translation Founder and CEO Steve Stoute; CityPickle co-founders Mary Cannon and Erica Desai; LOTTO brand owners WHP Global; LionTree Chairman & CEO Aryeh Bourkoff; Baby2Baby Co-CEO Kelly Sawyer Patricof; and Hunting Lane Founder Jamie Patricof. among others. 

In addition to majority ownership of the Brooklyn Aces, Durant and Kleiman are minority investors in Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union, National Women's Soccer League's Gotham FC, Premier Lacrosse League, Athletes Unlimited, League One Volleyball, TMRW Sports, and National Cycling League.

About LOTTO
LOTTO, a premier Italian sports brand established in 1973, is world-renowned for its innovative, performance-driven footwear, apparel, and accessories, which feature its iconic logo of a tennis court over a soccer field. Rich in soccer history, LOTTO has been worn by professional soccer teams A.C. Milan and Juventus F.C., elite soccer players Dino Zoff, Ruud Gullit, and Andriy Shevchenko, and top athletes including tennis Grand Slam champions Martina Navratilova, Francesca Schiavone, Marion Bartoli and Boris Becker. Today, LOTTO is distributed in over 100 countries and is currently worn by more than 40 soccer teams, over 300 professional soccer players, and more than 200 professional tennis players. For more information, visit: www.lottosport.com and follow @lottosportus.

About WHP Global
WHP Global is a leading New York based firm that acquires global consumer brands and invests in high-growth distribution channels including digital commerce platforms and global expansion. WHP owns a portfolio of powerful consumer brands that collectively generate over USD$7 billion in global retail sales. The company also owns WHP+, a turnkey direct to consumer digital e-commerce platform, and WHP SOLUTIONS, a sourcing agency based in Asia. For more information, please visit www.whp-global.com.

Media Contacts:

LOTTO US: Ben Mann, [email protected]  
WHP Global: Jaime Cassavechia, 646-701-7041, [email protected]  
Boardroom / Brooklyn Aces: Anna Bailer, [email protected] 

SOURCE WHP Global