NBA superstars LeBron James and Nikola Jokic recently met in France, sparking significant interest due to their potential as a dominating duo. However, their gathering was not about forming an on-court partnership; instead, it was related to a reported global basketball league backed by James’ agent, Maverick Carter, according to Front Office Sports.
Jokic’s agent, Misko Raznatovic, is influential in European basketball, adding to the significance of the meeting. A Bloomberg report from January revealed Carter’s ambition to raise up to $5 billion for a men’s and women’s league featuring international teams that would travel to as many as eight different cities for games.
Potential investors for this venture include the government of Singapore and the Public Investment Fund of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which has previously invested in LIV Golf, purchased Newcastle United in the English Premier League, and partnered with tennis’ ATP and WTA tours.
Additionally, the NBA has expressed interest in establishing a satellite league in Europe. This week, it was announced that the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic will play games in Berlin and London in January, further highlighting the league’s global expansion efforts.