Nikola Jokić’s agent made headlines this week when he posted a photo from a boat alongside LeBron James and Maverick Carter.
As it turns out, the purpose of the meeting was certainly eyebrow-raising — albeit not for the reasons many initially assumed.
Rather than discussing a pairing on either the Los Angeles Lakers or Denver Nuggets, James and Carter were reportedly meeting with Miško Ražnatović with regard to the planned NBA rival international basketball league. Eurohoops.net first reported the international league as the potential reason for the meeting, with Front Office Sports later confirming that it was, in fact, why it was held.
“The summer of 2025 is the perfect time to make big plans for the fall of 2026!” Ražnatović captioned his post of pictures from the meeting, which was apparently held in Saint Tropez, France.
While the specifics of the meeting are currently unknown, the prospect of James and/or Jokić being involved with the league is certainly notable. It also falls in-line with what Bill Simmons said about the rival NBA startup in June, stating on his eponymous podcast that those involved with the league are already touting commitments from “jaw-dropping” star players, specifically noting James’ connection to Carter.
“What they’re telling people is that they have a couple major stars that are gonna be joining that are gonna be jaw-dropping,” Simmons said. “It’s pretty clear, ’cause Maverick Carter is running this or is one of the people involved in pushing it, that he’s dangling [that] LeBron [James] is gonna be one of the people that do it. Could it be Kevin Durant?
“My guess is it’s probably older famous superstars nearing the end of their career who are just gonna do it, where they would get a bunch of money, probably equity in the league. And it’s a financial play and you try to build something.”
As for what the league will look like, many have likened it to basketball’s version of LIV Golf, with an international touring schedule that has been likened to Formula One. Simmons also stated on a previous episode of his podcast that NBA owners are concerned about league, which Bloomberg first reported on this past January.
As opposed to the Unrivaled 3-on-3 women’s basketball league the international men’s league is expected to be a full-time commitment, meaning prospective players would have to choose between playing in it and playing in the NBA. To that end, it’s worth noting that James’ current contract with the Lakers runs through next season, while Jokić can become a free agent following the 2026-27 campaign.
At this point, the international league has yet to even be officially announced. But if and when it is, it will clearly do so with the intent of being a major player, with investors including Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Public Investment Fund, the Singapore government, SC Holdings and UBS, among others, according to the Financial Times.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.