NBA
LeBron James Is Adding a New Product to His World-Class Business Portfolio, Which Has Nothing to Do With Pro Sports
Joe Kozlowski began his career as a sports journalist in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2019. He covers the NBA and soccer for Sportscasting, with specialties in legacy NBA players such as Michael Jordan and Premier League club Arsenal. Off the clock, he's a Kansas City Chiefs fan and a hockey goalie. Growing up loving Shaquille O'Neal and reading everything he could about the great big men throughout NBA history — likely because he was still tall enough, at least relative to his peers, to play center — he's continued to love learning about and exploring the historical and story-based sides of the basketball archives. As for Arsenal, Joe spent a year living in London and latched onto the local support of the club. He's barely missed a match since, loving Arsene Wenger, enduring the Banter Era, and following along through rebuilds. The Premier League interest developed into a passionate following of the Champions League, Europe's big five league, and international soccer as a whole when played at the highest level. Regardless of the sport, Joe is captivated by the stories of athletes beyond the box scores and how they push the envelope — both in terms of what we think a human is capable of accomplishing and how they find new competitive tactics to win.
Get to know Joe Kozlowski betterPublished18 Mar 2021
In modern sports, few stars are bigger than LeBron James. Whether you think he’s surpassed Michael Jordan as the GOAT or not, he’s proven to be quite the talent; that star status has helped the LA Lakers star make plenty of money and, in turn, develop an impeccable business portfolio.
While LeBron James’ recent move to become a part-owner of the Boston Red Sox has made plenty of headlines, that’s not his only business move. In fact, King James is adding another brand to his portfolio; this one, however, has nothing to do with professional sports.
LeBron James continues to be one of the NBA’s biggest talents
RELATED: The New York Knicks Tried Using James Gandolfini to Make LeBron James an Offer He Couldn’t Refuse
If you’re a longtime basketball fan, it may seem like yesterday when LeBron James burst onto the NBA scene. In reality, though, King James has spent 17 full seasons in the pros. Along the way, he’s proven to be quite the talent.
LeBron, of course, burst onto the scene at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School; he was quickly tapped as the next big star and, before long, his games were appointment viewing on ESPN. Unsurprisingly, he skipped college and entered directly into the 2003 NBA draft.
King James then joined the Cleveland Cavaliers as the first-overall pick; after seven years in his home state, however, he infamously took his talents to South Beach. LeBron then won two titles with the Miami Heat before returning to Ohio and helping the Cavs lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2016.
In July 2018, James left Cleveland again, this time to join the LA Lakers. Despite a disappointing first season in Hollywood, that move has since paid off with another championship.
While LeBron is no longer a young man—he turned 36 at the tail end of 2020—he’s still an incredibly effective NBA player. Through the first 39 games of the 2020-21 campaign, he’s averaging 25.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, and eight assists per outing.
An ever-expanding business portfolio
RELATED: LeBron James’ Actions Have an International Superstar Pissed Off
As a global superstar, LeBron James has plenty of disposable income. He hasn’t wasted it all on fancy toys or left it to mature in a bank vault, though. King James has also proven to be quite the investor.
LeBron, for example, struck gold by investing in Blaze Pizza; he’s also teamed up with Dr. Dre, has his own production company, and broke into the pro sports space as a part-owner of Liverpool FC. He’s also poised to become a minority owner of the Boston Red Sox, assuming nothing falls through as all parties dot their I’s and cross their T’s.
In total, LeBron James’ net worth is estimated at roughly $500 million. While that could already be considered a king’s ransom, that number is only likely to increase with each passing year.
LeBron James adds a new Pepsi product to his portfolio
RELATED: Stephen A. Smith Snubs LeBron James With His Surprising Pick for the Best Player in the NBA
If you watch basketball around the holidays, you’ve probably seen LeBron James advertising cranberry Sprite more times than you’d like to admit. The Lakers star, however, is now the face of a different soft drink.
Earlier in 2021, James and Coca-Cola couldn’t hammer out a new deal; that allowed LeBron to switch teams and join up with Pepsi. On March 17, the company a new line of beverages, planning to make King James the face of the product.
As laid out by CNBC, the product is Mtn Dew Rise Energy, which has the caffeine equivalent to two cups of coffee, vitamins A and C and zinc, and citicoline; that final ingredient is “often used in supplements that claim to boost memory.”
According to Pepsi, James will also endorse other products under their umbrella. He’ll be the main man, however, when it comes to the new energy drink.
“It’s not about creating another extension under Mountain Dew, it’s about creating another brand under the Mountain Dew family,” Fabiola Torres, chief marketing officer of PepsiCo Energy, explained.
Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference
