Ex-Bucks Owner Lasry: Pickleball, Upstart Sports Could Offer Higher Returns Than NBA

Marc Lasry's foray into the NBA ownership ranks was a lucrative pursuit, but he believes his investment in pickleball could yield a bigger bang for his buck.

"I think there's massive opportunities in sports, but I think those opportunities are in smaller teams," he told Bloomberg TV.

Lasry explained how staple sports franchises such as the ones in the NBA could see their value climb by 5 to 10 percent each year. He contrasted that with the opportunity for larger growth in a sport like pickleball.

"Pickleball three years ago was $100,000," he said. "Today, it's $10 million, so that's 100 times."

Lasry isn't alone in his bullish outlook. A number of notable athletes and celebrities have invested in pickleball in some form.

Major League Pickleball founder Steve Kuhn made a bold claim in March when he said viewership for the league could surge within the next five years and challenge the likes of MLS, MLB and the NHL.

That seems unlikely given pickleball is still in its nascent stages as a televised sport. But Lasry laid out how those on the ground floor have seen a strong financial return already.