LeBron James has long been the most famous basketball player on the planet and has parlayed his talent and marketability into a billion-dollar portfolio. James seems poised to have a long media career after his playing days, and has gotten into acting, podcasting, and producing.
James's talk show, The Shop: Uninterrupted, aired on HBO before YouTube picked it up for a fifth season. The show features celebrities, athletes, and moguls disclosing the keys to their success, and has featured pop culture giants like Drake, Kevin Hart, Will Smith, Megan Rapinoe, Patrick Mahomes, and others.
The Shop will be presented live at Fanatics Fest on June 20-22, hosted by James, with guests including seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady and San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama.
Wembanyama is the only current player on James's guest list, and the only other NBA players to ever appear were either in or past their prime when they appeared, excluding Lonzo Ball.
Wembanyama's inclusion over players like Anthony Edwards, Cade Cunningham, Paolo Banchero, or even Cooper Flagg sends a very clear message to the NBA: James believes that Wemby is his successor as the next face of the league and the next rival to Michael Jordan.
NBA media has been swept up in "face of the league" talks, pondering who will replace James and Stephen Curry. Wembanyama is easily the most transformative young player in the league, although his status as an international player has caused some to claim that he can't be the face.
Nike and Louis Vuitton would beg to differ, as would James.
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