Australian Tennis Star, Nick Kyrgios, to Become Part of South East Melbourne Phoenix Ownership Group

Australian tennis ace Nick Kyrgios will join the ownership group of the NBL’s South East Melbourne Phoenix.

Kyrgios will join an ownership group managed by Romie Chaudhari that includes current NBA star John Wall of the Los Angeles Clippers and former NBA players Al Harrington, Josh Childress, Dante Exum, and Zach Randolph.

“I am thrilled to be coming on board with the Phoenix and my mate, Romie” Kyrgios said. “I love the vision he shared with me, and my team and I are really impressed with the organization’s accomplishments in a short period of time. I know there is plenty that I can contribute towards the growth of the franchise and I’m especially looking forward to getting down to South East Melbourne and meeting the team and fans and working together with the youth in the city.”

Last year marked the best year of Kyrgios' career, highlighted by his finals appearance at Wimbledon, a doubles title at the Australian Open, and the quarterfinals of the US Open. As he prepares for a deep run in the upcoming Australian Open, where he will be one of the favourites, Kyrgios' investment in the Phoenix is his latest foray into sports team ownership.

(Australian Tennis Superstar, Kyrgios joins Phoenix as their seventh part-owner)

Having forged a great friendship which has led to them partnering on various business ventures together, the tennis star and Chaudhari recently became part of the ownership group of the Miami-based franchise in the new Major League Pickleball. This partnership is managed by Kyrgios’ agent Stuart Duguid and financial advisor Alex Cohen.

“I’m really excited to welcome Nick and his team into our ownership group,” said Chaudhari. “I consider him a good friend and I am proud of the wonderful year he has had despite all the criticism that has been thrown at him throughout his career. It has been a pleasure getting to know him off the court, he is a great person and has a great team around him too.”

“His manager (Daniel Horsfall), brother (Christos Kyrgios), and advisors helped make this happen and they have done a wonderful job for Nick. We have already done a few deals together; and given his love for basketball, I wanted to make Nick part of this as well.

“The Phoenix look forward to undertaking many initiatives with him and his Foundation. Its mission meshes well with our organization’s community-driven focus in the basketball Heartland of South East Melbourne. I look forward to witnessing Nick’s continued success at the upcoming Australian Open.”

Phoenix CEO, Tommy Greer, is excited about Nick’s involvement and the franchise’s future. “Adding one of the most talented and biggest names in a global sport such as tennis is exciting for the club, especially given the fact that he’s Australian, loves the game of basketball, and enjoyed undertaking this venture with Romie,” Greer said. “Getting a person like Nick to join our ownership is a testament to the club’s vision and how much we have been able to achieve over our first few seasons, two of which were severely impacted by the Covid pandemic.”

The NBL, widely considered one of the best basketball leagues in the world outside of the NBA, has developed a strong presence among the international basketball community, and its fanbase continues to grow at a rapid pace. Nick’s investment in the Phoenix is yet another endorsement of the NBL’s success and the increased popularity of the league globally.

Phoenix Media (12/01/23)