Is LeBron James Teaming Up with Maverick Carter to Launch a Rival Global Basketball League?

A photograph of LeBron James, his longtime business partner Maverick Carter, and Nikola Jokić’s influential agent, Miško Ražnatović, has reignited speculation over the development of a rival international basketball league.

The image, shared by Ražnatović on social media, shows the trio aboard a yacht with the cryptic caption: “The summer of 2025 is the perfect time to make big plans for the fall of 2026!”

While the setting appeared relaxed, the meeting may have had far-reaching implications for professional basketball.

According to US outlet Front Office Sports, discussions during the meeting reportedly centred on the creation of a new global basketball league. The proposed competition, which has been circulating in industry circles for months, could mark a serious challenge to the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s long-held dominance.

Initial reports from Bloomberg in January suggested that the league would feature 12 teams—six men’s and six women’s—competing across eight cities worldwide. The format would mirror that of Formula One, with teams travelling and playing in each host city for up to two weeks at a time.

A group of high-profile investors is said to be involved in the effort to raise $5 billion in funding. These include Skype co-founder Geoff Prentice, former Facebook executive Grady Burnett, and investment firm SC Holdings, led by Jason Stein and Daniel Haimovic. Financial institutions UBS Group AG and Evercore Inc. are also reportedly assisting with the capital raise.

One of the league’s key strategies is to lure top basketball talent by offering players equity stakes in the venture—an approach already employed by Unrivaled, a new women’s basketball league in the United States. While Unrivaled does not compete directly with the WNBA, the proposed international league is believed to have more disruptive ambitions.

Neither Carter nor representatives for LeBron James have issued public statements confirming or denying their involvement in the proposed venture.

The NBA has yet to comment on the renewed reports, but any development of this magnitude would pose a significant challenge to its global brand and influence.