Maverick Carter and LeBron James are investors in a newly launched league.
Futures Basketball League
According to a press release, the Futures Basketball League will support the nation’s top under-18 boys basketball players, with 120 players in total. They will compete from April through August in the 2027 season, forming 12 regional teams competing across 10 league weekends in top markets nationwide.
The press release states that the league’s presence addresses inconsistent development pathways for top youth basketball players. Beyond player development, the league will offer “mentorship, life-skills education, media exposure, and live events, as well as media and brand partnerships.”
Additionally, the league will offer NIL opportunities, and players will not be restricted from accepting NIL partnerships with other brands. Players can accept NIL compensation in cash, league equity, or both. League equity will be subject to administrative approval, as the press release notes.
The league has already begun signing athletes across its four classes (2028-31) to NIL deals. The league will announce those athletes in the coming weeks.
Founding partners and owners include LRMR Ventures (a private family office and investment firm owned by James and Carter), Boardroom Sports Holdings (Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman), Derrick Rose, Paolo Banchero, Gary Vaynerchuk, Ryan Harwood, Ezra Kucharz, and SC Holdings’ Jason Stein and Daniel Haimovic, with MADE Hoops serving as the operations partner.
“As someone who grew up playing grassroots and then college ball, and watched another kid from Akron completely change the landscape of high school basketball, I’ve seen how the game has evolved over the years both for the athletes and the ecosystem surrounding them,” Carter said in a press release. “With interest in these athletes at an all-time high, I believe Futures is the premier league with the right infrastructure to really help grow and develop players while setting them up for long-term success.”
The league is financially backed by SC Holdings and MADE Hoops, a grassroots leader in youth basketball events, experiences, apparel, and content backed by Durant and LRMR Ventures.
“Between NIL, international stars, and today’s positionless, pace-and-space style of play, basketball has evolved dramatically in recent years, but the way we develop young players in America hasn’t kept up,” said Chad Babel, founder and CEO of MADE Hoops and a Nike executive, in a press release. “I’ve spent most of my life in grassroots basketball, and MADE is honored to help Futures reshape the landscape so it works better for everyone in it — starting with the athletes.”
Further proving its commitment to youth sports, Futures Basketball League is donating $1 million to MADE Hoops’ nonprofit to support scholarships, programs, facilities, and initiatives for players.
