LeBron James and Maverick Carter plot Global Basketball League to challenge the NBA

What began as a seemingly casual photo on a yacht off the coast of France has now taken centre stage in one of the most ambitious ventures in basketball history, reports Sports News Blitz’s Noah Ngcobo.

The image, shared on Instagram by Nikola Jokic’s agent Misko Raznatovic, featured NBA icon LeBron James and his long-time business partner Maverick Carter alongside Raznatovic himself.

While speculation initially swirled around potential trades or team changes involving the Lakers and Nuggets, new reports have made it clear that the conversation reached far beyond standard league affairs.

Sources close to the matter have revealed that the true purpose of the Saint Tropez meeting was to discuss the creation of a brand-new, global basketball league.

With Carter at the helm and James closely involved, the project is already drawing attention from major investors and basketball power brokers around the world.

If the plan succeeds, it could mark the most serious challenge to the NBA’s dominance in half a century.

A new vision for Global Basketball

According to multiple sources, Maverick Carter is spearheading a project to raise $5 billion to fund this groundbreaking league.

The structure would include six men's teams and six women's teams, all travelling and competing across eight international cities.

The proposed model would not mirror traditional leagues but rather resemble a touring circuit, similar in style to Formula 1 or LIV Golf.

Teams would play in one location for a weekend before moving on to the next host city.

Unlike the recently launched Unrivalled women’s league, which allows its players to compete in the WNBA, this new league would require full-time commitment.

This condition effectively eliminates any possibility of dual participation, meaning players would need to choose between the NBA and the new venture.

That decision alone would make the league a seismic force in global basketball.

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Player ownership and global power moves

One of the most compelling aspects of the league is its player-first business model.

NBA rules currently prevent players from owning stakes in their teams, a point that has drawn criticism from figures like Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown.

In contrast, Carter’s league would reportedly offer equity to its players, giving them not just influence on the court but also a share in the league’s financial success.

Backed by significant funding from sovereign wealth funds and private equity sources in Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and Macau, the league is quickly gaining legitimacy.

Investors reportedly include the Singapore government, SC Holdings, Riyadh’s Public Investment Fund, UBS, Skype co-founder Geoff Prentice, and former Facebook executive Grady Burnett.

This approach not only increases the league’s appeal to players but also allows it to challenge existing basketball hierarchies like the NBA and FIBA.

It presents a structure where athletes are stakeholders in their sport’s future, aligning their personal success with the league’s growth.

The NBA’s countermove and the growing tension

While Carter’s project continues to gather momentum, the NBA is not standing still.

Commissioner Adam Silver recently confirmed that the league is actively exploring its own European expansion, potentially in partnership with FIBA.

Talks have already taken place with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and regular-season games are scheduled in Berlin and London for early 2026.

However, the format Silver envisions would keep teams in European cities permanently, a sharp contrast to the touring model proposed by Carter’s league.

This difference in approach further highlights the emerging divide in the vision for basketball’s future.

Not everyone is in favour of this shift. EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejūnas has publicly voiced scepticism about the NBA’s European ambitions.

In a recent interview, he suggested that new leagues would not necessarily help the basketball market in Europe and might instead create unnecessary competition.

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LeBron’s expanding legacy

LeBron James has made no secret of his desire to eventually own a team, with the Las Vegas NBA expansion franchise frequently linked to him.

However, involvement in this new global circuit would extend his influence well beyond the United States and reshape his legacy as not just an athlete but as a global architect of the sport.

By aligning with Carter and participating in this venture, James could be planting the seeds for a shift that elevates players’ roles in decision-making, league governance, and long-term wealth generation.

It would be a move that signals not just the next step in his post-playing career, but also a broader movement toward player empowerment on a global scale.

What comes next

While the league is still in development and its final form remains to be seen, the details emerging from the now-famous yacht meeting point toward a bold and carefully orchestrated play to disrupt the status quo.

With the financial backing already coming together and interest from international stars likely to follow, the groundwork is being laid for a revolution in basketball.

The NBA may boast a $76 billion TV rights deal and decades of legacy, but it now faces a legitimate challenger rising from the Mediterranean.

The summer of 2025 may go down as the moment global basketball changed course. What started with a picture on a boat could become the beginning of a brand-new era.

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