Why a Reason for LeBron James Going to Los Angeles Is to Make Movies

There is at least one reason besides basketball for LeBron James’ decision to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.

His priority on winning championships seems to have been higher when he went to Miami than in his announcement to join the Los Angeles Lakers. (Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma are not the Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh of 2010.)

So, it’s not an accident that he is in Hollywood.

A trailer of James' “Space Jam 2” was going to be released along with the announcement of James’ basketball decision. Back in 2016, James and director Justin Lin went ahead with the film, Screen Rant reported.

Already, James co-owns a production company.

And James is already producing a reboot of the 1990 comedy “House Party,” according to SR.

In Hollywood, the opportunist James can collaborate with the world’s best filmmakers in-season. He can make the effort to get perhaps the best publicity one could ask for. It can be a year-round pursuit. It doesn’t even need to be an offseason endeavor like Jordan did with “Space Jam” or Shaquille O’Neal, with “Kazaam.”

Crush Minnesota by night, collaborate with Michael Bay by day?

Surely James would love the publicity he would get by being a hero of a movie, with explosions in the background.

Would there be a better time for James?

First, understand that Michael Jordan is the person James is chasing to be the greatest basketball player of all time. At least, considered the best. You can make a good argument for Wilt Chamberlain and others being the greatest. But Jordan is regarded as the “GOAT” largely because his branding was so perfect.

That public relations is perhaps no better reflected by Jordan having a movie.

So, in movie mecca, James can also optimize his branding before his career ends. That's when talk about him will drop off. He can do so especially through movies. That's because he already has a logo and shoe line, like Jordan also had.

It’s also worth considering that Kyrie Irving is starring in his own movie (“Uncle Drew”). This is the Kyrie Irving that put to ruin James’ plans to optimize his chances at NBA titles. This is the Irving that the vast majority will not consider as good as James.

You wonder if James has thought that if Irving gets a movie, he should, too.

And perhaps James was motivated to do the trailer now to steal Irving’s thunder. It would have been just a few days after “Uncle Drew” was released.

Even if James had other priorities in joining the Lakers, it’s clear he viewed filmmaking as an appendage project. From his perspective, he can ride his popularity wave while it is still high. That will allow him to optimize his own marketing to be perceived as the best basketball player ever.