LeBron, Durant and Rose Are Investing in the Path to the Pros

Most athlete ownership stories are about teams, leagues or brands. This one is about the stage before all of that.

On Tuesday, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Paolo Banchero and Derrick Rose were announced as investors in the Futures Basketball League, a new league for the country’s top under-18 boys’ basketball players.

What the League Is

The Futures Basketball League, or FBL, will feature 120 players across 12 teams. Its first season runs 10 weekends from April to August 2027. The weekend tournaments are set to be streamed or shown on national television.

The league says it wants to give top prospects a development path and NIL opportunities. Those players are currently spread across hundreds of teams and scattered events.

More details are coming in the next few weeks, including the schedule, the locations of team markets and more founding partners.

How Players Get Paid

NIL pay is a big part of the pitch. Players can be paid in cash or in equity in the league. The FBL says the equity option is subject to administrative approvals.

State athletic associations set high school NIL rules. Most states allow some form of NIL for active high school athletes. Wyoming, Alabama, Mississippi and Hawaii are the exceptions.

The FBL says prospects from the classes of 2028 through 2031 have already started signing NIL contracts. Some of those names are expected soon.

Still High School Players

The league is built so players do not have to pick between it and everything else. Players can compete in the FBL while still playing for their high schools. They can also take part in USA Basketball events, NCAA live periods and the NBPA Top 100 Camp.

That flexibility matters. Top prospects already juggle a packed calendar, and a new league only works if it fits around it.

Who Is Behind It

LeBron invests through LRMR Ventures, alongside Maverick Carter. Durant is involved through Boardroom Sports Holdings, with Rich Kleiman. Banchero plays for the Orlando Magic. Rose is a Chicago Bulls icon.

All four came up through the same pipeline they are now investing in. Now they are helping build it.

What Is Still Unknown

Plenty of details are not out yet: team markets, the full schedule, player names and the final structure of the equity option.

The season could also overlap with the 2027 Nike EYBL schedule. LeBron and Durant have both been involved with that circuit before. How the two calendars fit together will be worth watching.

Why This Is the PlayersTV Story

Athletes started as endorsers, then became investors in teams. Now they are investing in the path that leads to the pros.

When players own part of the system, the people inside it, from the first showcase to the final contract, have a stake in how it works. The next generation of stars could come up in a league that some of today’s biggest names helped create.

That is the athlete ownership story at its earliest stage.