MADE Hoops Launches New Non-Profit Foundation and Multi-Million-Dollar Player Development Center to Expand Access Across Youth Basketball

Initiatives Come on the Heels of New Strategic Investment from LRMR Ventures and SC Holdings

NEW YORK, Nov. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MADE Hoops, the nation's leading youth basketball platform, today announced two major initiatives aimed at expanding access to cutting-edge youth basketball events and experiences: the launch of MADE for All, its new non-profit foundation, and a multi-million-dollar player development center in New York City, set to open in early 2026.

The initiatives come on the heels of a strategic investment led by SC Holdings and LRMR Ventures, the family office of LeBron James and Maverick Carter. Additional investors include Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman's Boardroom Sports Holdings, and NBA All-Star Paolo Banchero.

Founded by Chad Babel in 2014, MADE Hoops has grown into the most influential grassroots basketball ecosystem in North America — hosting over 125 boys' and girls' events annually across the country, serving more than 100,000 student-athletes ages 10–18, and drawing 120,000+ spectators each year. Its premier MADE Hoops Circuit (MHC) features teams from over 25 states and Canada, making it the largest and most competitive independent grassroots basketball circuit in the U.S.

"This investment allows us to take everything we've built — the events, the platform, and the brand — and elevate it to new heights, which will benefit the most important part of our ecosystem: the player community," said Chad Babel, Founder and CEO of MADE Hoops. "We've always believed in the power of grassroots basketball to change lives, and this partnership gives us the resources to make that impact even deeper."

Youth basketball is the largest participation youth sport in America, with millions of boys and girls playing each year. MADE Hoops sits at the center of that ecosystem, connecting the next generation of players, trends, coaches, and communities nationwide.

With this new investment, MADE Hoops will expand both its digital and physical footprint, including new media initiatives and national training infrastructure, while staying true to its mission of maximizing athlete development and exposure.

The new foundation, MADE for All, will focus on providing access and opportunity for youth players, programs, and facilities nationwide — funding scholarships, training resources, and community initiatives that help young athletes grow as players and people.

The company's first Player Development Center, located in New York City, will be a state-of-the-art basketball facility focused entirely on skill development, performance training, and strength and conditioning. Modeled after Europe's elite basketball academies, the center will serve as a blueprint for the next generation of American player development.

Between the new facility and the launch of MADE for All, MADE Hoops is investing well into seven figures back into the basketball community — a reflection of its commitment to building opportunities for young athletes on and off the court.

"What's impressed me the most with Chad and the MADE Hoops' team is their intense commitment to their namesake: Maximizing Athletes Development and Exposure," said Jason Stein, co-founder of SC Holdings. "While they are incredible operators and have created a fantastic platform — at MADE, it always starts and ends with what's best for the kid and the game of basketball. That level of authenticity and purpose is how you create a meaningful and lasting brand."

Over its 12 years, MADE Hoops has become the launchpad for many of today's top basketball players, connecting talent to opportunity through leagues, tournaments, showcases, and player-development platforms — all while operating without outside capital until now. MADE counts U.S. Army Nation Guard, Gatorade, and Wilson among its blue chip, multi-year brand partners. MADE has also helped establish marquee events like the SLAM Summer Classic and the Jordan Holiday Classic, which have become cornerstones in the youth basketball community.

The company's new Board of Directors will include Maverick Carter (LRMR Ventures), Jason Stein (SC Holdings), and Chad Babel, who will continue to lead MADE Hoops as CEO and remain a significant shareholder.

"As someone who grew up playing youth travel basketball and spent many years working in and around the sport, it's clear to me that what Chad and his team at MADE are doing is what youth basketball has needed for a very long time," said Maverick Carter, CEO of LRMR Ventures.

SOURCE MADE Hoops