A proposed $5 billion international basketball league, backed by LeBron James and Nikola Jokić, is in the pipeline to challenge the NBA, according to a report by Front Office Sports. The venture, spearheaded by James's business partner Maverick Carter, was the subject of a high-profile meeting in France last week involving James, Carter, and Jokić's agent Miško Ražnatović.
The league would feature six men's and six women's teams travelling together to eight global cities in a touring format, inspired by LIV Golf and Formula One. Players would be offered equity stakes, a model currently prohibited by NBA rules for active athletes. Ražnatović posted a photo of the Saint-Tropez meeting on Instagram, teasing that summer 2025 is the time for big plans for autumn 2026.
Carter began pitching the league earlier this year and is seeking $5 billion in funding. Backers include the Singapore government, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, SC Holdings, UBS, and investors such as Skype co-founder Geoff Prentice and former Facebook executive Grady Burnett. The venture would require full-time commitments from players, likely barring NBA participation unless league rules change.
Meanwhile, the NBA is pursuing its own European expansion. Commissioner Adam Silver and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum met UK prime minister Keir Starmer last week to discuss a Europe-based NBA league in partnership with Fiba. The NBA also announced that the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies will play regular-season games in Berlin and London in January 2026. EuroLeague officials have opposed the NBA's plans, with CEO Paulius Motiejūnas stating that a new league would not help the market.
