NBA-Lakers Legend Launches Basketball Startup, Like Airbnb But For Pick-up Games

Retired NBA player, Metta World Peace, is starting his own Airbnb for basketball pick-up games.

The former 19-year NBA veteran who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2016-2017 season is launching an app called XvsX for connecting hoopers across Los Angeles to on-demand pickup games at over 300 indoor courts.

World Peace's company is still in its early stages but is backed by a few other former NBA players, including Nick Young, Jermaine O'Neal, Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington, and Chris Copeland. Joining the roster of NBA backers are entrepreneurs Brad O'Neill, Charles Jolley, and Stephen Stokols.

XvsX is trying to address the issue of 23 million basket players in the U.S. who do not have access to indoor courts, and those who do have access pay a hefty fee of $160 on average.

The business model of XvsX revolves around a subscription of $5 a month for users to gain access to unlimited games. World Peace's company had arranged with gyms, parks, junior colleges, and other high-end facilities to provide premium basketball courts for their app users.

XvsX markets are suited for all skill levels: beginners to semi-pros and professionals. The company also plans to expand all over the country to service fanatics of the largest recreational team sport in America.

Back in August, World Peace tweeted, "It's a huge opportunity in sports IP. If you have a great idea that has traction, and can hold out from expensive money and investors, you can potentially scale quicker than existing pro teams and actually create your own market. People love sports."

World Peace also invested in Dahn Tran's company, Buttercloth, last year. Tran, a Vietnamese immigrant who cashed in his 401k to start his company, presented his line of shirts on Shark Tank. World Peace, as the brand ambassador, demonstrated how easy it is to move in Tran's design by dunking a basketball while wearing the Buttercloth shirt.

Several NBA luminaries have been making successful bets in the investing world like Lebron James, Stephen Curry, and Chris Paul. One notable investment, though, came from Kevin Durant recently who invested in a Cannabis startup that exhibits a Shopify-like business model.