Lauren Jackson to advise new league Project B

• Project B is a new global women’s basketball league launching in 2026, founded by ex-Google and Skype executives.
• The league promises higher salaries and equity ownership for players, starting with six teams across three continents.
• Australian legend Lauren Jackson has joined as an advisor, calling it a transformative model for the future of sport.

Australian basketball legend Lauren Jackson has signed on as an adviser to Project B, an ambitious new global basketball league backed by tech entrepreneurs and international investors that promises to give players equity and unprecedented financial control.

The venture, founded by former Google and Facebook executive Grady Burnett and Skype co-founder Geoff Prentice, is building what it describes as a revolutionary model for professional basketball, one that treats athletes as partners and stakeholders rather than simply employees, reports The Athletic.

Project B's inaugural women's league is scheduled to launch in late 2026, featuring six teams of 11 players competing across seven two-week tournaments in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Players will receive salaries exceeding current women's basketball standards, alongside equity stakes in the competition's growth.

“We’re going to focus on the women’s side at this point,” Burnett said.

"I think it’s natural to assume that we will do other things after that.”

"For the vast majority, the players have not participated in the economics of that. We think it's really important to start with equity."

Based in Singapore and supported by Sela, an entertainment company owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Project B is positioning itself as a truly global platform rather than another US-dominated league. Burnett believes women's basketball represents the ideal foundation for the project.

"The growth in women's sports rivals anything in AI right now," he said.

"It's truly majestic."

Jackson, a five-time Olympian and FIBA Hall of Famer, said she was drawn to the project's focus on player empowerment and long-term sustainability.

"I'm proud to join Project B as an adviser and to be part of something truly transformative for all sports," Jackson wrote on her LinkedIn profile.

"Project B is building a new global platform that puts players and fans at the centre. It's a model that recognises athletes not just as competitors but as partners and owners in the future of sports.

"I've seen firsthand how far the women's game has come and how much further it can go when players are empowered, supported, and celebrated. This is about more than basketball, it's about building something lasting for the next generation."

The project has assembled a strong leadership team, with former WNBA champion Alana Beard serving as Chief Basketball Officer.

Advisers and investors include Candace Parker, NFL legend Steve Young, tennis stars Novak Djokovic and Sloane Stephens.

Earlier this year, speculation surrounded the involvement of Maverick Carter, LeBron James' business partner, after he appeared in promotional materials.

However, Burnett has confirmed Carter is no longer part of the venture, with a spokesperson stating he had consulted with the group before stepping away several months ago.

The league is scheduled to operate from November through April, deliberately avoiding conflict with the WNBA season.

While Burnett acknowledged Project B could eventually emerge as a global competitor to established leagues, he emphasised the current focus on growing the sport worldwide.

“We see this as something that will be helpful to lifting athletes across all sport and bringing more access and proximity to fans across the world,” he said.

“So does it put us in competition? Maybe. But I think we’re trying to do something that is additive to the sport and to the overall ecosystem. And we’ve got tremendous respect for the W and other leagues that are out there but we think there’s plenty of room for another offering.”

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