Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition

Clipping? LeBron takes on ’Bama over barber show

- By Tom Withers

LeBron James believes Alabama’s football program is offside.

James contends the Crimson Tide has lifted “ideas, concepts and format” from a program on “Uninterrup­ted,” the digital media platform the threetime NBA champion cofounded with business partner Maverick Carter.

Last year, “Uninterrup­ted” aired “The Shop” a forum where James, Golden State forward Draymond Green, retired player Charles Oakley and others have conversati­ons while getting their hair cut in a barber shop.

Alabama recently released a trailer on Twitter for “Shop Talk” that shows Tide coach Nick Saban and former Alabama star wide receiver Julio Jones in a barber-shop setting. The video says the first episode is “coming soon.”

On Monday, “Uninterrup­ted” sent a letter to Alabama, citing “exploitati­on” and concerns over copyright infringeme­nt and intellectu­al property.

In the letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press, Josh Tarnow, the head of business and legal affairs for “Uninterrup­ted”, tells Alabama he would prefer not getting into a “battle of legal letters” with the school and asks for a copy of the first “Shop Talk” episode to be sent for a review. Tarnow hopes the sides can “address Uninterrup­ted’s concerns amicably.”

A school spokeswoma­n told the AP that Alabama is “in the midst of reviewing this matter ...”

Although James is a huge Ohio State fan, he has attended Alabama games in the past. And every year Alabama has won the national championsh­ip since 2010, James has captured an NBA title. It happened in 2012 and 2013 when James played in Miami, and again in 2016 when he guided the Cavaliers to a title, the first for any Cleveland major sports team since 1964.

Alabama won its fifth title under Saban in January.

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