LeBron James has already accomplished one of his major goals for this year, winning the NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers. But instead of taking a well-deserved time off work, the 35-year-old veteran shifted his focus to his other endeavor: campaigning for the push for social justice.
HBO has announced the screening of the latest episode of “The Shop,” the TV show starring James and Maverick Carter which shows the pair engaging in conversation with special guests in a barbershop. The newest episode will feature Barack Obama, the 44th president of the U.S., and touch on the issue of racial injustice and the importance of voting in the upcoming presidential election.
The episode will debut on HBO on Friday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. PT and will be available to stream on HBO Max. Non-HBO subscribers will be able to access it from Saturday, Oct. 31, to Saturday, Nov. 28.
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A new special episode of The Shop: Uninterrupted featuring @BarackObama in conversation with @KingJames and @MavCarter premieres Friday at 9 pm on @hbomax. #TheShopHBO pic.twitter.com/FbnWnHqYD7
— HBO (@HBO) October 28, 2020
James and HBO promoted the latest release of “The Shop” with a short preview in which the four-time NBA champion tells Obama a story about his mom voting in this year’s election, to which Obama reacts saying he is “proud of her.”
The video ends with Obama urging the viewers to familiarize themselves with voting regulations and then cast a ballot on Nov. 3 in order to “have control of our own faith.”
Obama spoke to James and other NBA veterans after the Milwaukee Bucks decided to boycott their playoff game against the Orlando Magic in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting.
The former president reportedly played a significant role in convincing the players to remain in the bubble and use the platform it provides them with to campaign for social justice.
In the wake of the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Tayler, James and Carter launched More Than a Vote, an organization that fights voter suppression, advocates for the empowerment of Black voices, and strives to enable members of minority groups to vote in November.
The organization, involving a coalition of Black athletes and artists, played a part in converting Dodger Stadium into a polling station ahead of the elections.
James thriving in film industry after moving to L.A.
“The Shop” is one of the many film and TV enterprises James has been involved in following his move to L.A. The three-time MVP has previously co-produced HBO documentaries “Student Athlete” and “What’s My Name,” the latter focusing on the life of Muhammad Ali.
James will also star in the reboot of Michael Jordan’s “Space Jam,” which is scheduled for a July 2021 release. Two months ago, the Lakers All-Star revealed the uniform he will be wearing in the movie, similar to the jersey Jordan sported in the film’s 1996 edition.
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