From Hometown To Hollywood, LeBron Scores Hoops and TV Deals…

Shaina Blakesley, Arts and Entertainment Editor

A new scenery change has sparked new career goals for the self-proclaimed King. LeBron James left his hometown in Cleveland for the bright lights in Los Angeles, but was it for the basketball opportunities or to see his name next to producer on Hollywood’s red carpet?

Multiple championships and Hollywood careers seem to follow basketball legends adorning number 23 — this time it is James, not Michael Jordan. Current Los Angeles Lakers forward, James holds three championships, three finals MVP awards, four MVP awards and 14 All-Star appearances.

But clearly, that is not enough for this basketball legend. James, along with his partner, Maverick Carter — co-founders of SpringHill Entertainment — to produce multiple shows before James even makes his debut at the Staples Center.

The duo, within two months of LA living,  have grasped the media mania with upcoming projects: “Million Dollar Mile,” “Best Shot,” “Warriors of Liberty City,” “Hoops,” “Brotherly Love,” “I Am More: OBJ,” “Madam C.J. Walker,” “Lean on Me,” “The Shop,” “Shut Up and Dribble,” “What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali” and “Space Jam 2.”

“Million Dollar Mile”

Imagine the child of “The Amazing Race” and “American Ninja Warrior” and you get the gist of this competition-based series set to air on CBS. The specifics have yet to be formally finalized, but the word so far is that the obstacle course made for über-talented athletes will spring up in the streets of different major cities.

The 10-episode series, “Million Dollar Mile,” enables contestants to run for a mile with the hopes of getting their hands on the grand prize of, you guessed it, a million dollars.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy, right?

Wrong.

This will be the “most challenging course ever designed” and participants will have to traverse the gauntlet while evading “a group of elite athletes” before winning the jackpot, according to the press release.

“Best Shot”

This series caters to the YouTube Premium fanbase rather than cable watchers. “Best Shot” is a docuseries broadcasted on the NBA’s YouTube channel, starring former Chicago Bulls point guard, Jay Williams. The show essentially follows Netflix’s “Last Chance U,” but instead of following a youth football team, “Best Shot” tracks the Newark Central High School’s basketball team in New Jersey.

Williams top pick from Duke University went to the Bulls but his career was halted by a motorcycle accident. New Jersey native joins the high school coaches and offers his charges advice pertaining to pursuing their best on and off the court. The entire eight-part first season can be viewed exclusively on YouTube Premium.

“Warriors of Liberty City”

This could either come as a surprise or not, but this series is not about the Golden State Warriors. This show actually follows a different sport altogether, football.

“Warriors of Liberty City” is a six-episode docuseries airing on Starz and follows Miami’s Liberty City Warriors youth program. This football camp allowed NFL talents such as Action Brown and T.Y. Hilton to sprout and make a solid name for themselves in the professional arena.

The first episode following this rough inner city football league premiered on Sept. 16 and will produce weekly episodes every Sunday.

“Hoops”

NBC recently scooped up this basketball drama, which will feature the tale of a former WNBA player as she becomes the first female head coach of a men’s college team.

Stevie Decker, a fictional basketball star, spent years on the road as a player and WNBA coach but she decides to return to her alma mater to be the head coach of the men’s team. Life isn’t all easy baskets and sunshine when her beloved school is trenched with a sex scandal involving her mentor and legendary former coach.

“Brotherly Love”

Brotherly Love is a single-camera comedy sitcom inspired by the life of 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons, 76ers guard. To set the scene, “Brotherly Love” depicts the sibling dynamic within a multi-ethnic family grounded in Philadelphia.

NBC, an apparent fan of LeBron’s show ideas, has also picked up this script from SpringHill Entertainment.

Simmons was born in Australia to an interracial couple. His mother from down under and his American father former basketball player raised their two children, along with four children from Julie Simmons previous marriage. The happy communion between the Tribe children and Simmons siblings are the inspiration of the upcoming show, “Brotherly Love.”

“I Am More: OBJ”

Reverting back to football, James will produce this 16-episode series on Facebook Watch following the 2018 NFL season of Odell Beckham Jr. The pivotal theme surrounding this show is how the wide receiver bounces back from a gruesome ankle injury and contract extension, despite a controversial suspension, with the New York Giants.

The first episode aired on Facebook on Sept. 15 and the second season broadcasted six days later. The addition of each episode seems to be sporadic, so to follow this series viewers need to keep their eyes open each week.

“Madam C.J. Walker”

James’ produced shows finally hit Netflix for this eight-episode limited series starring Octavia Spencer as a self-made businesswoman. This series is based on the life and success the only African American female millionaires, Madam C.J. Walker, in the early 1900’s.

Netflix has yet to release an air date, but it shouldn’t be too long compared to LeBron-adjacent projects since the streaming service has been circling the Walker miniseries since Aug. 2017.

“Lean On Me”

James teams up with the soulful singer John Legend to produce this CW television series based off the 1989 film of the same name. “Lean On Me” follows a young black teacher who embeds himself in the center of a failing public school in Akron, Ohio — LeBron’s hometown — in the hopes to rectify it.

This is the only television series produced by James that is not sports-centric. This would be an interesting change of pace for the Cleveland legend and open the eyes of many regarding the tragic reality of the Ohio school systems.

“The Shop”

Unscripted barbershop talks between LeBron and the likes of Draymond Green, Snoop Dogg, Vince Staples, Michael Bennett, OBJ, Candace Walker and Jon Stewart. These haircut shenanigans feature candid conversations about life, careers, handling the anti-private celebrity status and being Black in America.

The first episode of “The Shop” can be watched on HBO Go and HBO Now. This series is another platform, not a pedestal, for open discussions in an attempt to keep a level playing field for everyone involved.

“Shut Up and Dribble”

Continuing on LeBron’s next chapter of creating a dialogue regarding racial conversations in the media recently. This will be a three-part docuseries coming to Showtime. The title itself references comments made in February from Fox News talking head Laura Ingraham in response to LeBron’s criticism of Donald Trump.

According to Sports Illustrated, this series will look at “the changing role of athletes in the current political and cultural climate against the backdrop of the NBA.”

An exact air date has yet to be pinpointed, but it is tentatively slated for October — most likely coinciding with the upcoming NBA season start.

“What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali” 

Dabbling in another series contrary to basketball, James will feature the reality of one of the greatest athletes and sports activist thus far in the game. The HBO Sports documentary will continue on the trend of creating a conversation regarding racial discrimination among minorities and illustrates athletes ability to create change. The recent teaser indicated this documentary to release in 2019.

“Space Jam 2”

Every 90’s kid childhood dreams have finally been answered with the continuation of this epic basketball and Looney Tunes mashup film. Again, following in MJ’s footsteps, LeBron will star in this live-action cartoon movie.

For the past two years, this on-again-off-again relationship has plagued the internet, most notably the NBA Reddit, and is finally set to start production. In collab with other NBA All-Star players, James will begin casting and filming in 2019 offseason