.jpg)
1 hour ago
1
LA Lakers star LeBron James is reportedly planning to start a basketball league, which could compete with the NBA. Reports surfaced that James and businessman Maverick Carter are putting together a group of investors for a new league, which they are planning to launch in 2026.
On a clip of "The Hoop Collective" podcast shared by ESPN Podcasts on X on Wednesday, NBA insiders Brian Windhorst, Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon discussed James' idea.
"They're planning a certain group of investors, a classic business, to create a league that would somehow also compete with the NBA," Windhorst said. "They don't want it to be a US league, they want it to have a European flavor, so to speak."•
Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.
Fans on X have mixed reactions to the news.
"LeBron wants that Saudi money," one fan tweeted.@TheDunkCentral @WindhorstESPN @espnpodcasts LeBron wants that Saudi money
@TheDunkCentral @WindhorstESPN @espnpodcasts Why would he go against the company that made him?
Others praised the news, saying that a brand new league could be interesting. Meanwhile, there are some fans who speculated that this is LeBron James' preparation for his retirement.
@TheDunkCentral @WindhorstESPN @espnpodcasts This is what the sport needs. More leagues outside the NBA to increase the skill gap. We are tired of America being the only country with the best players
@TheDunkCentral @WindhorstESPN @espnpodcasts Then it will not compete with the NBA lmao it would be a good secondary league to watch ….it will be competing with the Euro League
@TheDunkCentral @WindhorstESPN @espnpodcasts Tryna become an NBA owner by startin' your own league and mergin' into the NBA.
A Bloomberg report earlier this year said that Carter was the adviser to a group of investors seeking to raise $5 billion to form a new league. According to Reuters, the investors include Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Singaporean government and a Macau casino operator.
LeBron James and his business partner met with a top European agent
Speculations about a new basketball league were fueled in July as LeBron James and longtime business partner Maverick Carter met with a top agent. Misko Raznatovic, described by Eurohoops as the biggest agent in Europe, had a meeting with James and Carter in France.
Raznatovic, who is also the European agent of Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic, shared a couple of photos on Instagram on July 26 and wrote:
"The summer of 2025 is the perfect time to make big plans for the fall of 2026!"Heading into his 23rd NBA season in 2025-26, James' future has also created a buzz. The NBA's all-time leading scorer has not addressed retirement rumors directly, prompting many fans to speculate that next season might be his last.
Why did you not like this content?
- Clickbait / Misleading
- Factually Incorrect
- Hateful or Abusive
- Baseless Opinion
- Too Many Ads
- Other
Was this article helpful?
Thank You for feedback
About the author
Edited by Kim Daniel Rubinos
English (US)