Global basketball league to debut fall 2026 worldwide

A new international basketball league backed by major athletes and investors is set to launch in fall 2026, according to a report from Front Office Sports (FOS) on Wednesday.

The league, informally referred to as “Project B,” will feature both men’s and women’s 5-on-5 competitions across North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

While still unnamed, the league is being spearheaded by former Facebook executive Grady Burnett and Skype co-founder Geoff Prentice.

Four-time WNBA All-Star and 2025 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Alana Beard is a co-founder and serves as the league’s chief basketball officer.

“I’ve always had my mind set on ownership,” Beard told FOS, signaling a long-term commitment to athlete-led governance in the new venture.

Other high-profile investors include former NBA stars Candace Parker and Lauren Jackson, ex-NFL quarterback Steve Young, and tennis champions Novak Djokovic and Sloane Stephens.

The league has also received funding from investment firms Mangrove Capital, Quiet Capital, and Sequence Equity.

Maverick Carter, longtime business partner of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, was previously linked to the league but has since stepped away.

“This group came to Maverick for consultation, which he gave, and he subsequently stepped away months ago,” a Carter spokesperson told FOS.

“He is no longer working with them or any other basketball league in Europe,” the spokesperson added.

Rumors around the project resurfaced after a July meeting in France between James, Carter, and Misko Raznatovic, the agent of Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic.

Raznatovic declined to comment when asked by FOS if he was directly involved with the league.

The league plans to run its season through April, overlapping with the NBA calendar but avoiding conflict with the WNBA’s summer schedule.

“To the extent they’re looking to do something competitive, I’ve stayed away,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said last month at the FOS Tuned In summit in New York.

Project B is expected to offer record-breaking compensation to female athletes, aiming to reshape the landscape of women’s team sports.

“We are paying the highest salaries and equity packages in women’s team sports, and this will be some of the best players in the world,” Burnett told FOS.

Burnett added, “We want this to be incredible basketball.”

While specific player commitments have not been disclosed, a spokesperson confirmed the participation of one unnamed WNBA player and “some of the game’s most respected athletes.”