The global basketball market seems like an open buffet, and everyone wants to fill their plate. NBA is making giant steps into their own European league, and are already meeting with big clubs in Europe like Real Madrid and soon Barça and Fenerbahçe to convince them to leave the Euroleague and join their venture.
And at the same time, another threat looms in the horizon: a big international league with teams from around the world. The idea is being moved by none other than LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) and Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets), which are also two of the biggest stars of worldwide basketball, bridging North America and Europe. Both players appeared in a photo in a boat saying "the summer of 2025 is the perfect time to make big plans for the fall of 2026".
<social>https://www.instagram.com/p/DMk4VTHorgc</social>
According to Front Office Sports, their meeting had nothing to do with their NBA franchises. Instead, they met with Jokić's European agent Miško Ražnatović, who is considered one of the most influential basketball agents in Europe. Their goal would be to attract investors and interested parties for their planned global league, one that was first discussed by Bloomberg in January 2025, backed by James' agent Maverick Carter, also present in the photo posted this week.
How would a new Global Basketball League look?
This league, which some compare to how Formula 1 works, would have every team of the league travelling to a city for one week or weekend to play matches, before moving to another. A "tour" that would have six men's teams and six women's teams around eight cities.
Would you be interested in a global league? Would it be compatible with other domestic and continental leagues like NBA or Euroleague? What is certain is that the upcoming years could see a drastic revolution in the tissue of professional basketball.