Project B (basketball)
Startup global basketball league
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Project B is a startup global basketball league.[1]
History
Project B was founded in 2023 by ex-Facebook and Google executive Grady Burnett and Skype cofounder Geoff Prentice. Alana Beard will serve as the Chief Basketball Officer.[2] Candace Parker, Steve Young, Novak Djokovic, and Sloane Stephens are included as investors and advisors.[3][4] The league hopes to appeal to an international audience.
League format
Project B will start with a women's basketball league that will include six teams that will play in a traditional five on five format. Each team's roster will have 11 players. The season will take place over seven two-week long tournaments throughout Europe, Asia and Latin America. The first season will begin in November 2026 and conclude in April 2027. Project B may launch a men's league, but that is not yet confirmed.[5]
Players
Nneka Ogwumike was the first women's basketball player to sign with Project B.[6] As of December 2025, Alyssa Thomas, Janelle Salaün, Jewell Loyd,[7] Jonquel Jones, Justė Jocytė, Kamilla Cardoso, and Kelsey Mitchell have also signed with the league.[8][9]
Controversy
Project B plans to pay its female players salaries over a million dollars and give them equity in the league, causing concern that the league will compete with and put pressure on other women's basketball leagues like Euroleague Women, the WNBA, Athletes Unlimited and Unrivaled.[10][9]
The Saudi Wealth Fund is reported to be one of the investors, which has created concern for its association with human rights violations.[11] However, league representatives have denied that the league is funded by Saudi Arabia, calling it an operating partner and not an investor.[3][12][13]