Whenever something happens with LeBron James, the entire NBA world snaps to attention. That's just the nature of being one of the greatest players of all time. So when James was seen talking to Nikola Jokic's agent Misko Raznatovic, everyone was intrigued, to say the least. Was the Lakers star plotting to make another super-team, aligning himself with the best player in the NBA today?
Well, as it turns out, those thoughts were a bit overblown. Raznatovic went on a radio show in Serbia where he explained what he and LeBron were talking about. According to the agent, they were talking about James' camp planning a league that could compete with the NBA.
“They are planning, a certain group of investors, classic business, to create a new league that would somehow also compete with the NBA,” Raznatovic said. “They don't want it to be a U.S. league; they want it to have a European flavor, so to speak. And when they started working on it, everyone told them to call me. I spoke a few times with Maverick Carter, where I got an official role as a consultant. He said it would be best to meet for lunch on a boat where LeBron would also attend. We had that meeting where we talked a lot about the new league, how it would be built, and what would be done.”
Aside from handling Jokic, Raznatovic is also the agent for multiple European NBA stars. His clients include Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac, Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze, Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic, and Oklahoma City Thunder youngster Nikola Topic. It's natural for a conversation between Jokic's agent and James, who's infamous for orchestrating the creation of superteams, to spark rumors.
In any case, the idea of a rival league to the NBA centered in Europe is a fascinating idea. Aside from competing against the NBA, it will also most likely clash against the EuroLeague, the largest league on the continent. If anyone has the tools and the logistics to rival the league, it will be LeBron, who has created a media empire built from his insane career earnings.
