LeBron James Could Rival Michael Jordan’s NBC Deal with Amazon Circling Around Lakers Star

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James could become a target for networks as a contributor after he retires from the NBA.

LeBron James Could Rival Michael Jordan’s NBC Deal with Amazon Circling Around Lakers Star

LeBron James could join Amazon to take on Michael Jordan's NBC coverage (Image via FirstSportz)

LeBron James has played 22 seasons and is nearing the end of his stellar career. As the Los Angeles Lakers superstar looks towards a future without basketball, he does have some options up his sleeve that can help him stay in the game.

For someone who has sacrificed spending time with his family, spent more than two decades battling the best, it would not be befitting for him to walk away and never have any connection with the game. For starters, he has his podcast, Mind the Game, where he discusses both technical as well as other topics.

On top of that, there have been countless rumors of the billionaire setting himself up to become a team owner after he retires. He has been linked with a possible expansion team in Las Vegas, where he and his partners are Fenway Sports Group can start a new franchise from the ground up.

That, however, will be a very expensive option as basketball teams have been ballooning in value, the latest being his Los Angeles Lakers, who surpassed the $10 billion mark after their recent stake sale. Therefore, it is possible that a Las Vegas expansion team could run a pretty steep tab.

In case his plans of owning a team do not materialize, the superstar seems to be gearing up for another possibility. LeBron James has been increasingly strengthening his ties with Amazon Prime Video. Front Office Sports believes he could open a spot on their NBA coverage.

LeBron James and Amazon’s developing partnership

FOS added that LeBron James‘ recent moves indicate he has a growing relationship with Amazon. For instance, he has been appreciative of their lineup of analysts for next season, which includes his Mind the Game co-host Steve Nash, along with Dirk Nowitzki, close friend Dwyane Wade, and Candace Parker.

He also recently starred in their commercial, ‘What’s Next?’, where he humorously teased his retirement. His podcast, Mind the Game, appears on Amazon Prime Video. Then there is the discounted James’s “The Shop” Men’s Grooming line, which appears on Prime Day’s promotions.

FOS believes that LeBron James is intelligent to partner with Amazon. Out of all three networks that won the NBA’s media-rights deal, Amazon Prime Video has the largest global reach. Therefore, it would not be impossible to dream that the all-time leading scorer in NBA history can appear on Prime’s NBA broadcasts.

Considering how Michael Jordan has agreed to appear on NBC as a special contributor for their NBA coverage, it would make sense for the other GOAT candidate to have his say. Moreover, the money is too good to give up, after Tom Brady effectively landed a deal with FOX, which is more than what he earned in the NFL.

LeBron James could change NBA media

Those are the benefits that LeBron James could garner through Amazon Prime Video. There is another aspect that can have a tremendous impact on his legacy. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar has started to talk about how the media so far have skewed narratives to paint a certain picture.

LeBron James and Steve Nash's Mind the Game podcast is on Amazon
LeBron James and Steve Nash’s Mind the Game podcast is on Amazon (Image via Amazon)

He has been critical of how Skip Bayless, Stephen A. Smith, and Charles Barkley have brought negativity to the league. He knows that with Bayless gone, and Barkley set to retire in a few years, only Smith will remain as the sole remaining ‘hater’.

He also knows that Jordan is too old and rich to continue talking for years. Therefore, if he starts his journey with Amazon Prime Video, after he retires, that is, he can have a much larger influence on the narratives than he has right now as a player.

It can help skew the GOAT discourse and help him establish himself as the greatest player of all time. The NBA’s viewers are decreasing in age, and the combination of these events can place him perfectly to change the NBA’s media.

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