With LeBron James’ career in the NBA (presumably) nearing an end, his manager may soon be trying to compete with the NBA.
Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Thursday that Maverick Carter, James’ business manager and close friend, has been listed as an advisor by a group of investors looking to launch a new international basketball league that would rival the NBA. The group of investors, which includes multiple private equity funds, is reportedly seeking to raise $5 billion to form the league, which would consist of six men’s teams and six women’s teams playing games around the world.
Charania notes though that the Los Angeles Lakers star James is not himself involved in the efforts with the new league. In fact, James has expressed his interest in becoming an NBA team owner after he retires as a player.
Carter, who in his 40s, has been a member of James’ inner circle for decades now and attended St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio with him during the early 2000s. The two have launched multiple successful business ventures together, including in the media industry.
Charania also mentions that the NBA has not faced a significant rival 5-on-5 league ever since the American Basketball Association (ABA) merged with them back in the mid-1970s. But there could be somewhat of a blueprint already in place with the recent launch of the women’s basketball league Unrivaled to financially compete with the WNBA.
