The beginning of July marked the end of the LeBron free agency drama, as he signed a 4-year, $154 million dollar deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. The team continued signing players throughout the night to play alongside James, and will push to add at least 1 more star player for James to utilize.
However, while most speculated the transaction was all about basketball, some would argue that the greatest attraction to playing for the Lakers is his other career: film.
LeBron has always expressed his desire to be in the film industry; in fact, his childhood dream was to be an actor before basketball consumed his life. But throughout his career, he has maintained that dream and has done much to enter the film industry.
Instead of being on the other side of the country from his SpringHill offices on the Warner Bros. lot in LA, his new home at Staples Center is merely 11 miles away. So while LeBron will be The King at night, during the day, he’ll have easy access to his film operations.
His longtime media adviser Adam Mendelsohn and his business and deal adviser Paul Wachter both have offices based in LA. His producing partner Maverick Carter lives and works straight out of LA. He had this to say about having James in LA:
“Now that he has made his decision on where he wants to play, I’m thrilled that I now get to work and live in the same city as my best friend and business partner.”
Carter is a longtime friend of James, as both played on the same team back in Akron, Ohio. Now, Carter will have the ability to work alongside James more often than in years past.
James has already made a presence for himself both on and off the screen. He’s done voice acting for the animated film Smallfoot, and showcased his comedic persona in the rom-com Trainwreck. What the world is most excited for, however, is Space Jam 2, where LeBron is to play the lead role. In the film, he will do battle on the court against the Monstars for the first time since Michael Jordan in 1996.
LeBron and Carter have also been active in the TV world, producing 4 seasons of Survivors Remorse, which recently wrapped up after 4 seasons.
SpringHill is set to work on a reboot of the 1996 comedy House Party, with Stephen Glover and Jamal Olori writing the screenplay.
LeBron and famed rapper Drake are also collaborating on an upcoming crime drama called Top Boy. The show’s third season is scheduled to release in 2019.
Other SpringHill works in the making include Warriors of Liberty City, which details a youth football league in Miami, a documentary about Muhammad Ali for HBO, a documentary titled Student Athlete, which talks about college athletes who bring in millions of dollars yet are not paid a dollar, and a documentary about the history of the NBA and the game’s impact on culture.
LeBron is also the executive producer on the NBC game show titled The Wall, which is scheduled to return in September.
It’s safe to say that LeBron has already accomplished much in the film industry while being hundreds of miles away from his office in LA. Now that he’s back in the film capital of the country, expect to see his work in the industry skyrocket.
Feature Image via Wikimedia Commons
