Maverick Carter is no longer involved with a planned international basketball league that aims to launch next fall, multiple sources told Front Office Sports. The venture, known as “Project B,” still plans to proceed with five-on-five men’s and women’s basketball leagues.
A spokesperson for Carter confirmed he stepped away months ago after providing consultation to the group. Carter is the longtime business partner of LeBron James, who was never part of the project.
The league is led by Skype co-founder Geoff Prentice and former Facebook executive Grady Burnett. The investor group includes tennis stars Novak Djokovic and Sloane Stephens, former WNBA stars Candace Parker and Alana Beard, and ex-NFL quarterback Steve Young.
Carter was spotted on a boat in France over the summer with James and Misko Raznatovic, the European agent for Nikola Jokic. Multiple sources told FOS the meeting concerned the project, though Raznatovic declined to comment on his involvement.
Project B plans to host tournaments in Asia, Europe, and Latin America starting next fall. Seasons are expected to run through April, competing directly with the NBA calendar but potentially not the WNBA’s summer schedule.
“We’re paying multiples higher than is available right now in the world of women’s sports,” Burnett told FOS. “We are paying the highest salaries and equity packages in women’s team sports.”
Beard, a four-time WNBA All-Star and co-founder of the league, emphasized the quality of competition planned.
“This is not a gimmick. We’re playing five-on-five, we’re playing elite basketball. We want the best of the best playing in our league. That’s a full stop,” Beard said.
The group sought $5 billion in funding according to Bloomberg but declined to share how much has been raised. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said last month that competition “keeps everyone on their toes.”
