Athletes, Uninterrupted

If you’re a sports fan, you probably remember LeBron was vilified for an event that became known as “The Decision”, where he announced live on TV, he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers and taking his talents to South Beach. After a short stint and winning his first two NBA titles with the Miami Heat, in 2014 LeBron James decided to leave Miami and return to the Cavs with the hopes to bring the city and fans its first ever NBA championship. This was obviously a massive moment both in LeBron’s career and NBA history and from this point on he wanted to be able to have control over his story and how to tell it. 

LeBron has carefully been crafting his story and working to build a recognizable brand since he entered the league in 2003 at just 18 years of age. From the very start, his value as a role model has been unsurpassed. As one of the world’s most recognizable athletes, he has been a model citizen; a devoted husband, father, philanthropist and has never been involved in controversies or in trouble with the law. As the best player in the NBA and one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen, LeBron James is a basketball savant. But it’s what he’s doing off the court that’s garnering people’s attention. 

After “The Decision” (which ultimately became LeBron’s worst PR nightmare), when LeBron decided to return back to Cleveland, the announcement he made was stark in contrast to the one he made in 2010. Instead of a live TV show, LeBron let the world know his choice by opting to write a personal essay in Sports Illustrated which ultimately sparked his idea to create a media company where he could tell his story “Uninterrupted”.

Today, Maverick Carter, LeBron James’ trusted business partner, and best friend manages James’ interests and is CEO of SpringHill Entertainment and its digital media platform Uninterrupted that he and James co-founded. Uninterrupted is a platform that provides LeBron and other professional athletes from all sports a creative, unfiltered outlet to share their stories and market their brand in a way they can’t anywhere else. With the use of digital media growing rapidly, moving away from traditional outlets, especially for younger consumers, this was something that the sports world had never seen before. An athlete taking complete control of their opportunity, owning their content and changing how they tell their story. 

LeBron James decided very early on that he was going to be “More Than An Athlete”. This was something Maverick Carter touched on at our Annenberg graduation ceremony just a few weeks ago. Being “More Than” means refusing to define yourself to what society dictates and implores you to take risks. LeBron James has never been one to shy away from any challenge or speak his mind. He’s a three-time NBA Champion, a four-time NBA MVP and a future Hall of Famer. Even with all those accomplishments, LeBron wants to be known for more than just one of the greatest to ever play the game. For him, he has always said his impact “is bigger than the game of basketball.” In recent years, LeBron has been one of the most outspoken high-profile superstars as he has continued to push forward political and social justice conversations that have spread throughout the country. Creating Uninterrupted gave LeBron a channel where he could create content, talk about whatever he wanted, all while trying to inspire the next generation to speak up and be heard. From his Uninterrupted platform and his other social media accounts, fans have the opportunity to follow him by getting a sense of his life and thoughts outside of the sport. The emergence of these media platforms has changed how athletes share their life but has also changed the athlete-fan relationship and their engagement. 

Through SpringHill Entertainment and Uninterrupted, James has also created an HBO show called The Shop: Uninterrupted. Here he invites notable entertainment and influential figures, fellow-professional athletes, rappers, and comics, etc. to sit in chairs at a barbershop, relax and have genuine conversations about the issues that range from race, family, sports, entertainment, aging, parenthood, politics, and the demands and challenges of being in the spotlight. Fans get to see a candid LeBron as they get an unfiltered glimpse into his thoughts and life experiences. His media platform and his show have helped create and reinforce his brand, as everything he shares or discusses on his social platforms lends a credible and authentic feel to what he does and believes in. He is a trusted influencer, one who uses his own business’s ventures and his fan base to take control of his narrative and write his story as it unfolds.

Following LeBron’s lead, we have seen other NBA athletes like Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant start their own media companies. Curry has partnered with Facebook Watch to release his show called “Stephen vs. The Game” which highlights his everyday life, storied NBA career, while also promoting his Christian faith and family that shaped both his upbringing and success. Coincidence? I doubt it. The future will see more and more athletes creating their own media platforms. Athletes have begun to understand the ability to control, distribute and own their content is incredibly important to them. The development of these platforms illustrates the interest sports fans have in consuming this type of content, and the willingness of athletes to participate to tell their story. Athletes of all sports have embraced the opportunity to shape their own narrative and they want to do it their way, Uninterrupted.