We now know more about that mysterious boat meeting last week in France between LeBron James, his business partner Maverick Carter, and Nikola Jokić’s European agent, as multiple sources tell Front Office Sports it was about the planned international basketball league being spearheaded by Carter. FOS deals reporter and Asset Class newsletter writer Ben Horney breaks down what we’re hearing about the encounter, plus the implications in relation to the NBA’s international expansion aspirations.

Meanwhile, big news in the world of UFL, as Mike Repole, the billionaire cofounder of Vitaminwater and Body Armor, has made a major investment in the spring football league, making him a new co-owner. He will join an ownership group including Fox, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Dany Garcia, and RedBird Capital Partners. Repole tells Baker Machado and Renee Washington why he decided to purchase a stake in the challenger football league stating, “I think today is the first day of the United Football League.”

And with the MLB trade deadline ticking down to its final hours, the Padres and Mariners made blockbuster moves to bolster their final playoff pushes, with Mason Miller and Eugenio Suárez both moving to the respective contenders. FOS newsletter writer Eric Fisher has the latest trade chatter, plus previews the MLB Speedway Classic over the weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway that will break the MLB single-game attendance record originally set in 1954 with more than 85,000 tickets sold.

Key Moments:

0:42 - Shannon Sharpe out at ESPN, WNBA ratings up, Gilbert Arenas gambling arrest

4:48 - Maverick Carter's global basketball league

9:32 - Billionaire Mike Repole on UFL investment

17:06 - MLB trade deadline, speedway classic set to break records

21:21 - Michael Phelps teaches Ravens team how to swim

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Front Office Sports Today is your daily guide on all things sports, business and culture, with insightful commentary and appearances from athletes, executives, and more.

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