Shams Charania, the Senior ESPN Insider, addressed recent speculation regarding LeBron James‘ potential involvement in an international basketball league designed to rival the NBA during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
Instead, it was clarified that Maverick Carter, LeBron’s long-time business partner, is advising the group behind the proposed league, which is reportedly seeking to raise $5 billion in private funding.
“I hate to say it, I hate to break it on this show, but LeBron James is 100% not involved in this endeavor. Mavericks Carter is an advisor for the this group that’s putting together a league trying to get funding five billion dollars for this league that internationally that’s supposed to rival the NBA.”
“The NBA is also working on a league itself internationally in Europe from my understanding.”
“Adam Silver spoken about it actually, while he’s been in Paris talking about, how they can build a league in Europe, that’s kind of going to be around the EuroLeague and really be able to compete there.”
“I mean he didn’t close the door, but eventually having maybe a team, an NBA team over there in Europe as well and he said, we’ll need to figure out how the travel would work in that situation but the NBA is also expanding in Europe as well, so there’s going to be competition for whatever this international league is.”
The league, which aims to establish itself as a global competitor to the NBA, is projected to feature six men’s and six women’s teams, with games rotating across eight cities worldwide in a Formula 1-style format.
Early reports suggest that Carter’s connections and expertise are helping the league seek investment from sovereign wealth funds and high-net-worth individuals. These ambitious plans include creating a league structure blending NBA-style rules with global basketball formats, potentially disrupting the basketball landscape.
But, Charania underscored that James himself is not tied to this venture, further dismissing rumors linking his name to the rival league.
While the proposed international league is still in the funding stages, Charania highlighted that the NBA itself is expanding its global reach. Speaking about Commissioner Adam Silver’s recent comments during a visit to Paris, Charania explained that the NBA is actively working on plans to establish a European league. Silver has hinted at integrating this potential league with the EuroLeague to build a sustainable and competitive structure.
When asked about LeBron James’ plans to own an NBA team, Charania was definitive:
“100% and he’s been very vocal about Las Vegas and whatever team they get I mean the NBA, I don’t sense the expansion is front of center exactly right this moment.”
“But of course two, three, four years, down the line, I think it is something that NBA is going to continue to take a hard look at and you think about Seattle, you think about Las Vegas, Mexico City is another place that has gotten some consideration, so the NBA is going to continue to be mindful but of course, Las Vegas and Seattle are front and center.”
While the NBA is not currently prioritizing expansion, Silver has previously mentioned cities like Las Vegas, Seattle, and Mexico City as potential locations for new teams. Charania emphasized that expansion remains a long-term possibility, possibly within the next 2-4 years.
James’ aspirations for ownership, especially in Las Vegas, make it unlikely that he would align himself with a league directly competing with the NBA. Instead, his focus remains on strengthening his legacy within the league and positioning himself as a future franchise owner.
While the idea of a rival basketball league has generated buzz, Charania’s clarification puts an end to speculation about LeBron James’ involvement. Maverick Carter’s role as an advisor and the league’s ambitious global model may represent a bold step in basketball’s evolution, but it is clear that James’ focus remains firmly on his current career and his future within the NBA. Meanwhile, the NBA itself continues to expand its global presence, ensuring its dominance in the basketball world.
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