Report: LeBron James Planning To Launch A League With "A European Flavor"

LeBron James has done just about everything that there is to do in the NBA. At this point, is there any other uncharted territory for the NBA’s all-time leading scorer?

Starting a new league would be one such achievement.

According to veteran reporter Brian Windhorst, this is exactly what James and his business partner Maverick Carter have in mind. Speaking on “The Hoop Collective Podcast,” Windhorst reported that James and Carter have assembled a group of investors who will help move this vision forward.

“The group of investors wants to create a league that would compete with the NBA,” Windhorst said. “They don’t want it to be a US league, they want it to have a European flavor.”

Windhorst, who has been covering James’ career since his high school days in Ohio, added that Carter has met multiple times with Miško Ražnatović regarding this matter. Here’s why Raznatovic is a key player in this story: He happens to be the agent of three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, and it would stand to reason that he has exactly the type of connections sought by Carter and James.

Windhorst’s reporting backs up a piece published by Bloomberg this past January. According to this report, James’ group of investors aims to raise $5 billion in order to get the league off the ground. Reportedly, the group is targeting a launch by fall 2026.

This time frame is yet another interesting tidbit in the whole narrative. James is set to compete in his record-breaking 23rd season in the NBA, and the league will supposedly get started at the onset of his 24th year. The question is, would James even go for a 24th NBA season? Or are the reports surrounding this league an indication of what he’ll be doing 12 months from now?

At this point in James’ career, there are invariably more questions than answers when it comes to his short-term future. Even if his Los Angeles Lakers squad (which, it should be pointed out, is now looking at Slovenian star Luka Doncic as their future franchise player) were to win the NBA title this season, James could simply decide that his NBA story is finally complete.

The transition from player James to league owner James appears to be inevitable. The only question is how fans will be able to come to terms with the departure of an all-time NBA great.