James’ Hollywood ties well-established

LOS ANGELES — With LeBron James finally confirmed to join the Los Angeles Lakers, it would be easy to accuse him of having “gone Hollywood.”

But more than perhaps any other working athlete in recent memory, James made that move years ago. A true multi-platform superstar, whose only NBA legacy competition is Michael Jordan, James has a reach that extends well beyond the basketball court and sports endorsements — and not just to the traditional roles of “Saturday Night Live” host and documentary subject.

Three years ago, he surprised everyone by nailing his BFF role in “Trainwreck,” but most of his entertainment industry deals are through SpringHill Entertainment, the 5-yearold production company he co-founded. Two years ago, SpringHill signed a deal with Warner Bros. (where LeBron reportedly got his own bungalow and parking space in 2016).

Already in progress is a reboot of the 1999 Kid ’n Play comedy “House Party,” set to be co-written by “Atlanta” writers Stephen Glover and Jamal Olori for New Line, and an update of the half-animated “Space Jam” (which will likely only further those comparisons between James and Jordan, given that Jordan starred in the original).

SpringHill’s presence has already been felt on TV screens with the Mike O’Malley-created comedy “Survivor’s Remorse,” which was canceled last year after four seasons on Starz. James That network will also host “Warriors of Liberty City,” a docuseries about a youth football program funded by Luther Campbell, former leader of 2 Live Crew.

James also was an executive producer of the 2016 CNBC reality series “Cleveland Hustles,” which focused on entrepreneurs in the city where the Ohio native has spent most of his career.

On HBO, SpringHill in October wll premiere the documentary “Student Athlete” and has a documentary about Muhammad Ali still to come. At Netflix, James’ company is working with rap star Drake to adapt the U.K. crime series “Top Boy” for 2019.

James also acts as executive producer on the NBC game show “The Wall,” a series that was renewed for a third season despite allegations of misconduct by its host, Chris Hardwick, also an executive producer. Later this year, James’ name will be seen on a three-part documentary for Showtime exploring the cultural impact of the modern NBA; Gotham Chopra is the film director.

Chopra also worked on the Showtime documentary “Kobe Bryant’s Muse,” a look at the former Lakers star, who has been making an impact off the court with his entertainment projects.

The animated short he narrated, “Dear Basketball,” won an Oscar this year for Kobe, who also owns a production company, Kobe Inc.

The reach of NBA stars into Hollywood contrasts with that of those in the other “Big Three” professional sports in the United States. Major League Baseball and the NFL have plenty of stars of their own, but pro basketball’s elite make the big plays in Hollywood.