LeBron James’s SpringHill Entertainment has steadily grown into quite the enterprise in the world of film-making and entertainment, and this summer LeBron has added a number of new projects to his company’s portfolio.
Whether a calculated effort in conjunction with his move to L.A. to play with the Lakers, or simply a coincidence, LeBron’s production company has been racking up the deals this summer, from movies to documentaries. The latest is in partnership with Showtime and is a not-so-subtle jab at the critics of LeBron’s presence in the social and political worlds recently, as reported by Variety.
Showtime president and CEO David Nevins announced on Monday that James and SpringHill would be executive producing a documentary series in conjunction with Showtime Sports Documentary Films titled “Shut Up and Dribble.” Gotham Chopra will serve as a producer as well as the director of the series. The series will trace the history of the NBA’s players from the merger with the ABA to now and how players grew their off the court brands and platforms.
“If being a star athlete is inherently a political experience, ‘Shut Up and Dribble’ tells that complex and dramatic story from the past to the present and from the inside out,” said Nevins, via Variety. “LeBron James is one of many competitors whose place in the spotlight has led not to silence but perspective, and he, Maverick Carter and Gotham Chopra have given us an important, insightful docuseries that should bring their fans and fellow citizens to a higher level of discourse, rather than the dismissal satirized in the title.”
The series will examine the ever-changing role of NBA athletes within the political discourse of the day in a three-part series that premieres in October.
