Lebron James, Osaka team up to launch media company

Japanese tennis champion Naomi Osaka and American basketball superstar Lebron James are joining forces to launch a media production company that aims to give a bigger platform to “culturally specific” stories on “important social issues.”

Osaka, 24, said the new venture will be called Hana Kuma, which translates as“flower bear”from Japanese. Osaka was born in Japan to a Haitian father and Japanese mother and moved to the United States at age 3. She is now based in Los Angeles.

“I’ve built my career taking a different approach than those around me,” Osaka said in a post on her Instagram account. “Because my journey has been so different it’s opened my eyes to all the incredible stories out there. Stories that are global, about a variety of cultures and points of view, about important social issues,” she added.

The four-time Grand Slam champion has spoken often about identity, mental health and pressures on athletes. The new company will make“stories that are bold and playful like me,”she said.

James, 37, a four-time NBA champion, said he was “incredibly proud” to work alongside Osaka on the new venture as part of his Springhill Co., created with Maverick Carter.

“This incredible woman and the stories she is going to bring to life is EXACTLY what we about!!!” he tweeted.

The production company will feature television shows, documentaries and anime programs, Osaka told the New York Times, which first reported the story. She added that she could not yet say whether she would star in anything herself.