As LeBron James enters the back half of his second decade in the NBA, his portfolio has expanded way beyond just the accolades he’s piled up on the court. James and his production company, SpringHill Entertainment, are currently in the midst of shooting Space Jam 2, which James is the star of. His media entity, Uninterrupted, is consistently putting out content.
Even when he first entered the NBA, James shook things up by signing a shorter, three-year extension with the Cavs instead of the typical four-year max to have more control over his career. And that’s something that’s had a significant impact on the NBA and other athletes.
On an episode of UPROXX’s People’s Party, hosted by rapper Talib Kweli, former ESPN personality and current writer for The Atlantic Jemele Hill says that James has provided the “blueprint” for other athletes to own everything that they do.
“One thing that LeBron James has given other athletes the blueprint on is owning your talent,” Hill said. “LeBron owns everything that he does. His production company, he owns Uninterrupted, which is his media company. He is only involved if he gets a piece. And now I see the rest of these athletes are smartening up with that. Colin Kaepernick has a production company. Steph Curry has a production company. Kevin Durant has a production company. I think there’s a level of independence and ownership that we haven’t seen before.”
LeBron has been ahead of the curve with his off-the-court ventures ever since he arrived in the NBA. Athletes everywhere are paying close attention.