LA Lakers star LeBron James is reportedly planning to start a basketball league, which could compete with the NBA. Reports surfaced that James and businessman Maverick Carter are putting together a group of investors for a new league, which they are planning to launch in 2026.On a clip of "The Hoop Collective" podcast shared by ESPN Podcasts on X on Wednesday, NBA insiders Brian Windhorst, Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon discussed James' idea."They're planning a certain group of investors, a classic business, to create a league that would somehow also compete with the NBA," Windhorst said. "They don't want it to be a US league, they want it to have a European flavor, so to speak."Fans on X have mixed reactions to the news."LeBron wants that Saudi money," one fan tweeted.Smart Punk @onlymessihasmorLINK@TheDunkCentral @WindhorstESPN @espnpodcasts LeBron wants that Saudi money"Bron to Adam Silver 😭😭😭 ," another fan posted.dmk @scottieshowtimeLINK@TheDunkCentral @WindhorstESPN @espnpodcasts Why would he go against the company that made him?Others praised the news, saying that a brand new league could be interesting. Meanwhile, there are some fans who speculated that this is LeBron James' preparation for his retirement.Agent 0 @FT_Merchant05LINK@TheDunkCentral @WindhorstESPN @espnpodcasts This is what the sport needs. More leagues outside the NBA to increase the skill gap. We are tired of America being the only country with the best playersBABY YESHU’A (DONT CRASH OUT NOW) @SCRIZZLLEELINK@TheDunkCentral @WindhorstESPN @espnpodcasts Then it will not compete with the NBA lmao it would be a good secondary league to watch ….it will be competing with the Euro LeagueNBA Dracos 🐉🏀 @NBADracosLINK@TheDunkCentral @WindhorstESPN @espnpodcasts Tryna become an NBA owner by startin' your own league and mergin' into the NBA.A Bloomberg report earlier this year said that Carter was the adviser to a group of investors seeking to raise $5 billion to form a new league. According to Reuters, the investors include Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Singaporean government and a Macau casino operator.LeBron James and his business partner met with a top European agentSpeculations about a new basketball league were fueled in July as LeBron James and longtime business partner Maverick Carter met with a top agent. Misko Raznatovic, described by Eurohoops as the biggest agent in Europe, had a meeting with James and Carter in France.Raznatovic, who is also the European agent of Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic, shared a couple of photos on Instagram on July 26 and wrote:"The summer of 2025 is the perfect time to make big plans for the fall of 2026!" View this post on Instagram Instagram PostHeading into his 23rd NBA season in 2025-26, James' future has also created a buzz. The NBA's all-time leading scorer has not addressed retirement rumors directly, prompting many fans to speculate that next season might be his last.