The world's No. 1 pickleball player accidentally became an NBA insider Wednesday night.

While appearing on the red carpet at the ESPY Awards, Anna Leigh Waters was asked about newly-minted Portland Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon, a familiar face in pickleball as the owner of the United Pickleball Association (UPA), which oversees both the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball.

Waters' response caught everyone by surprise.

"I don't know. I know the owner of the professional pickleball league just bought the Portland basketball team, the Trail Blazers, and I know he's trying to get (LeBron James), so we'll see if that happens."

Within minutes, the quote spread across social media and was picked up by sports outlets nationwide, effectively revealing Portland's interest in pursuing the NBA's all-time leading scorer.

An unintentional scoop

Waters wasn't trying to break news.

She was simply answering a question about Dundon, whom she's gotten to know through professional pickleball. As the face of the PPA Tour and one of the biggest stars under the UPA umbrella, Waters has worked closely with Dundon since he invested heavily in professional pickleball.

But her candid answer offered a rare glimpse into Dundon's plans just weeks after purchasing the Trail Blazers from the Paul Allen estate for a reported $4.25 billion.

Whether Portland can actually land James is another question, but Waters made it clear that's the organization's goal.

Pickleball is the connection

The story becomes even more interesting because James isn't a stranger to the pickleball world.

In 2022, he joined an investment group that purchased an expansion Major League Pickleball franchise, making him one of several high-profile athletes to invest in the sport alongside stars like Kevin Love, Draymond Green, Drew Brees, and Naomi Osaka.

While James has largely remained a financial investor rather than an active participant in the sport, his ownership stake has kept him connected to pickleball's rapid growth.

That shared connection through Major League Pickleball could give Dundon an opening that other NBA owners don't have.

Pickleball continues crossing into the mainstream

Moments like this are becoming increasingly common as pickleball's influence continues to expand.

What started as a backyard pastime has attracted investments from billionaire owners, Fortune 500 companies, celebrities, and professional athletes from nearly every major sport.

Now, one of pickleball's biggest stars has unexpectedly found herself at the center of one of the NBA's biggest offseason storylines.

Whether James ultimately joins the Trail Blazers remains to be seen.

But thanks to Waters, the basketball world now knows that Dundon is contemplating a major move for his new team.