Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki and current Mavs head coach Jason Kidd will compete in the Deep Eddy Vodka Celebrity Pickleball Showdown during the 2024 Lapiplasty Pickleball World Championships.
The eight-day event returns for a second year beginning Nov. 3 at the Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, with the celebrity match slated for Nov. 7.
Nowitzki and Kidd are no strangers to pickleball and the art of “dinking” — a strategic shot that lands just over the net. Both competed in last year’s showdown, along with former Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco and the world’s No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler. They were joined by Pro Tour of Pickleball players Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns.
“For me the amazing thing is to see how far this thing has come … This is like rock star level,” Nowitzki said before taking the court last year, according to a press release. “It is insanity on another level, how big this sport has gotten.”
Other participants for this year’s celebrity match have yet to be announced.
A fusion of tennis, table tennis and badminton, pickleball was dubbed the nation’s fastest-growing sport as of 2023, according to USA Pickleball’s annual growth report.
Many young adults flock to the courts not only to stay active, but to socialize, find friends and even romance. This year’s championships will include a meet-your-match speed dating clinic, among other clinics and mixers. There will be matches for both pros and amateurs, with amateur levels determined by skill.
Details
Individual tickets and passes are available online. General admission for the celebrity showdown costs $30. tixr.com.
