There might not be any moves being made just yet for his team on the court, but Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James continues to make moves off of it. What the Lakers superstar has done off the court is arguably greater than his accomplishments on it and LeBron continues to set himself up for life after basketball.
Apparel company Mitchell & Ness, which is known primarily for its replica jerseys and other apparel, was recently bought by Fanatics and another group of investors that includes the likes of hip-hop superstar Jay-Z. Now the company has added a group of new, high-profile investors.
According to Nick DePaula of ESPN, LeBron James is part of an expanded ownership group of Mitchell & Ness that involves a number of NBA and entertainment stars:
BREAKING: @Fanatics founder Michael Rubin announces an expanded @Mitchell_Ness ownership group, including:
• LeBron James
• Kevin Durant
• Chris Paul
• CJ McCollum
• Devin Booker
• James Harden
• Joel Embiid
• Odell Beckham Jr.
• Rich Paul
• Rich Kleiman
• Kevin Hart pic.twitter.com/I1bOaFq42F— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) October 25, 2022
In LeBron, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Joel Embiid and Devin Booker, there is really a who’s who of NBA stars investing in the company. Odell Beckham Jr. remains one of the biggest stars in the NFL while Kevin Hart is huge in the entertainment world as a whole. The group is expected to help Mitchell & Ness with future collaborations, its capsule collections, as well as other future endeavors. Mitchell & Ness also acquired the rights to all 32 NHL teams earlier this year, allowing them to create products for them as well.
Fanatics and CEO Michael Rubin continue to make moves within the industry. The acquisition of Mitchell & Ness valued the clothing company at $250 million and they also acquired trading card company Topps back in January.
For James, this is even more personal as he met long-time agent Rich Paul due to seeing Paul in the airport wearing a classic Houston Oilers jersey. Now, the pair are investing in the company together.
Silver responds to Lakers’ LeBron James plea to bring an NBA team to Las Vegas
Speaking of James’ future endeavors, the Lakers star has made no secret of the fact that he wants to own an NBA team one day. There have also long been rumblings of a potential expansion team for the city of Las Vegas and LeBron recently added fuel to that fire when he begged NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to bring a team to Vegas following a Lakers preseason game at the T-Mobile Arena.
The commissioner would respond to James, noting that he loves the idea of players going into management and ownership. However, he noted that any expansion talks are on the back burner until the league gets through its next collective bargaining negotiations.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
