Inside Project B: Landry Fields on Being Named Head of Men’s Basketball, Building Out the Men’s Division, League’s Unique Value Proposition, Player Development, and More [Exclusive Q&A]
Former NBA player and executive, Landry Fields, has joined Project B as Head of Men's Basketball. In this exclusive interview with Ballers Magazine, Landry dives into his current role, building out the men's division of the league, learning from co-founder and Chief Basketball Officer Alana Beard, what fans can expect, and more.
You were recently named Project B's Head of Men's Basketball. Could you share more with us about your role in the league and some of your responsibilities in this space?
Yeah! Recently joined as Head of Men's Basketball here at Project B, and a lot of what I'm doing has to do with building out what the men's side looks like. It's a little more nuanced. It's a little different than the women, but we really want to take an integrated approach. So working alongside Alana Beard (AB) and using her as an example of what she's been building on our women's side—which she has done a fantastic job up to this point—essentially we want to replicate with the men as well. Everything from athlete recruitment to building out infrastructure, you know, even more so than where it's at even right at this point. A lot of it has to do with partnership with our players and has a lot to do with partnership with AB on what she's been doing so far and really making this thing global. A lot of what we've been doing and really focused on is about making basketball the biggest sport in the world—that's not just from a men's perspective, but it's also from a women's as well. So really for me, especially early on here, it's getting integrated and then being responsible for shaping everything from a men's perspective as it relates to Project B.
You mentioned the global aspect of the league. There is also the unique value proposition within Project B of player equity, traveling around the world, bringing the game to fans, etc. For you, what specifically drew you to the league or intrigued you about Project B's proposition?
I think it goes really into my background as a player and as an NBA executive. I heard about Project B before, but speaking with Alana just about what Project B is and a variety of the elements that you just described to me, were so intriguing just from a player lens. I was like, “Gosh, I wish I was still playing at this point, you know? What a really cool proposition for these athletes.” With Project B, with where we're at at this point in time, given my background and given the fact that I just love to build things—and especially with teammates—that's what really drew me here. You know, I've been in team sports my entire life so that's like deep-seated within my DNA. I love the vision of this integrated men's and women's approach to it. As I mentioned before, just the global aspect of it. Then for the players, everything from equity to lifestyle to all the value propositions that are here, I think are so cool and unique and very relevant for where athletes are at today. That immediately drew me in, and just for me, it's really cool to be a part of this thing as it's really getting going at this point.
Even within the basketball pipeline, you've been at each stage as well as a player, scout, and front office executive. Could you take us through that journey and how those experiences provide that edge now within this role in Project B which includes scouting talent and building the men's division of the league?
It really has been a journey. My wife has been awesome (*laughs*). She's really had to see me in a variety of roles and a variety of places. I think that's it—having so much experience with different elements of the game and just different perspectives. Playing, I mean that's one perspective when you're in a locker room. There's something to be said about that and just how players think about this whole thing. Then, you know, shifting into scouting and what it is that makes players great. Learning the ins and outs of players from their on court game to how they approach their work. Then, getting into more of a decision-maker on how best to create teams, how best to find different players and bring them all together, and (how best to) pair them with the coaches and the right coaches from that standpoint. Given that experience and that background, those multiple points of views I think is the edge within this space here. In terms of relatability as well, right? We're working with athletes and we're driven by partnership with them. Having been a player, that's advantageous there to the decision-making ability. We're building this whole thing together with a variety of different people in a variety of different lanes. So just having that background, I think really is the edge for me personally.
You mentioned that you almost wish that you were still playing as you learned about Project B. What excites you most about not only what you guys are building, but also what players can get and can give fans from this experience?
You know, there's equity like you mentioned before. It's not just a financial component, right? There's a lot of ownership that players are going to have within this space as we build out. The perspective that they have. The question that comes across my mind for any of the athletes is like, “Hey, what would make this—if you had a magic wand—great for you? What would that look like? What is it that you have that's at stake here?” Just the lifestyle component to it, too. From the scheduling to that model, you know, especially for athletes that have families and whatnot. They don't necessarily have to add that (component). I think it's advantageous and something that a lot of athletes will gravitate around just in terms of how we're building out from the model perspective, from the schedule perspective, from the global aspect to it, and really building out a global brand for these athletes with so many different fan bases outside even the U.S.. This is something that is international; and gives another organization and another entity for these athletes to engage with and for fans to engage with as well. I think it's a huge value proposition across the board.
When it comes to building the roster and building this division on the men's side, what are some tangibles and intangibles that you look for when you're scouting global talent and bringing them together?
Oh gosh, it comes down to two things for me. It's about competitiveness and it's about character. When you have those two things aligned from an athlete's perspective, to me, that's what makes up the greatest teams. On the one hand, if you just break it down, being a competitor at the end of the day it’s like: “How do you approach your craft? Do you love your craft? What's the humility that you show up with when it comes to the game and your ability to work even when things are not necessarily going your way, and doing that all with locking arms with your teammates?” There's a competitive character to that point. So building that for me—and that's just a high-level view of scouting—that's what makes great teams and that's what I think is actually going to make this thing fantastic from a men’s side. Watching the women that we've already built this foundation with, the types of humans and players that they are, it's simply just replicating from a men's perspective as well. That's been really cool as I've gotten more and more integrated—learning from AB what she's doing and seeing how she's building now with those types of character elements for the players. It's really cool because there's a lot of alignment that we have (and the) same thing goes to the men’s side as well.
As a former player, what are some of those unique benefits that you see for younger talent in this league with Project B’s focus in player development?
Yeah! I think what is always going to be true is all the on-court stuff, right? It's skill development. It's understanding the game at a much more nuanced level. If you go backwards into types of players that I think are incredible in this space, it's ones that are cultivating basketball IQ and allowing the game to be something where it's not just going out and just kind of playing—it’s learning the ins and outs of it. So Igor and his staff are going to be fantastic in that space. That's one aspect I think will always be true for just playing the game. But then also, there's this global element too. It's becoming a global citizen. As you're building a brand that is beyond just whatever space you come into Project B with, I think that's highly advantageous for these young athletes because the game is global. The awareness in which they could have more and more with our fan base outside of just the U.S., I think is really special for young players.
On the women’s side, with the players that have been announced, you have this great mix of veterans and rising stars. What are some of the benefits that you see in that (unique pairing), from having players that are vets and have already created that legacy to having that rising talent who’s making an impact in their own way but can continue to grow as their career progresses as well?
It's definitely both at this point. We want the players that are a little more well-established and we do want players that are rising and up-and-coming. We see those working in tandem with each other. You know, it just depends on what fits for the athlete at that point in time. If you're established, you may have just different values within what Project B can bring. Even if you're young, (you have that) development (piece). You know, we recently hired Igor (Kokoškov) to head over everything development for us…so actively working with him on: “What does it look like to take a young athlete from entry point all the way through their career at Project B? What are the types of players that we want to help build? Not just on the court, but helping them with their brands off the court as well.” It's really important from a development aspect, I think, to have both. I think there's a great opportunity of leadership and culture for our more established ‘vets’ here of paving the path forward for our young guys and as a light to those. For our younger guys, you know, they're hungry. They want to get better. They want to have an everlasting career and, you know, being able to look to those culture-setters, those vets, those mentors in a leadership role for their own career, I think it works side-by-side. It gives a lot of opportunities either way.
As you have immersed yourself in building this system and establishing the men’s division, what's the biggest lesson that you've learned so far within this new role that you're excited about or hope to continue to grow in?
You know, I don't know if it's necessarily a lesson. I think it's an element of who we are and what I currently have just been singing high praise for is how Project B right now is truly anchored in what our women are doing and the integrative approach that we're taking for both men and women. You know, showing up to an event where you see both. I think that that's so cool for this game and you don't necessarily see it often. To have the foundation being set with what AB and team has done up until this point—and then now the men's we can look at that as a great beacon of light and an example as we continuously integrate into that—, that's so cool. That's a story that I want to get behind more and more. I think that element, rather than a lesson, is actually something that I'm actually proud of. I'm proud to be here for that and being able to tell that to different folks.
Project B will be starting in January 2027. Any message for fans that are looking forward to the league’s start next year? What can they be most excited for when it comes to Project B?
That you're going to see elite-level competition in basketball at the end of the day, and a truly global focus on the court. It's players from a variety of backgrounds and a variety of upbringings that I think are so unique and really cool to see all within one place; and the integration of men and women. More to come on that, but that is something to get excited about.
Project B's inaugural season tips off in January 2027, bringing together many of the world's best players across iconic cities in Asia and Europe.
Photographs courtesy of Project B.
