Reports that Maverick Carter and LeBron James have secured funding for their international basketball league have the NBA concerned.

James has made been very public about his goal of one day owning an NBA team. He's even targeted a city: Las Vegas. He's publicly lobbied for control of an expansion franchise in the desert for years, and for years, his odds of getting that team looked very strong. But two things have changed of late, and neither work in his favor.

The world was sent into a frenzy last week when a photograph emerged with LeBron James, his longtime business partner, Maverick Carter, and Nikola Jokic's agent, Misko Raznatovic, sitting together on a yacht.

It's been a month-plus filled with LeBron James speculation. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar is entering the final year of his contract, and reports have indicated that he won't necessarily be a Lakers player beyond this season.

LeBron James got a few things off his chest in a new Instagram post Thursday. The Lakers superstar, who’s been at the center of trade rumors this offseason, cautioned to appreciate him while he’s still playing.