Lebron James, Nikola Jokić Reportedly Meet Over $5bn Upstart To Rival Nba

A high-profile gathering past week successful France betwixt LeBron James, his business partner Maverick Carter and Nikola Jokić’s supplier Miško Ražnatović was astir plans for a caller $5bn world hoops league, according to a study by Front Office Sports, which cited aggregate sources acquainted pinch nan matter.

The projected league, spearheaded by Carter, would characteristic six men’s and six women’s teams that recreation together to 8 world cities successful a touring format. Inspired by LIV Golf and Formula One, nan convention intends to connection players equity stakes, thing NBA rules presently prohibit for progressive athletes.

Ražnatović, a powerful fig successful European basketball, posted a photograph of nan gathering connected Instagram complete nan weekend. The caption, tagged successful Saint-Tropez, teased: “The summertime of 2025 is nan cleanable clip to make large plans for nan autumn of 2026.” That photograph fueled speculation astir a imaginable team-up betwixt James and Jokić, but sources confirmed to Front Office Sports nan gathering was unrelated to nan NBA.

Carter began pitching nan convention earlier this year, pinch Bloomberg reporting successful January that he is seeking to raise $5bn successful funding. Backers already see nan Singapore government, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, SC Holdings, UBS and investors specified arsenic Skype co-founder Geoff Prentice and erstwhile Facebook executive Grady Burnett.

Unlike nan WNBA-adjacent Unrivaled league, which allows dual participation, Carter’s task is expected to require full-time commitments, efficaciously ruling retired NBA information unless convention rules change.

The NBA, meanwhile, is pursuing its ain description into Europe. Commissioner Adam Silver and lawman commissioner Mark Tatum met pinch UK premier curate Keir Starmer successful London past week to talk plans for a Europe-based NBA convention successful business pinch Fiba. As portion of that effort, nan NBA announced that nan Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies will play regular-season games successful Berlin and London successful January 2026.

EuroLeague officials person pushed backmost against nan NBA’s description talks. “We said to them, for illustration we said publicly, we don’t judge that nan caller convention is thing that would thief nan market,” EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejūnas told nan Athletic connected Tuesday.