LeBron James is adding to his TV roster with a new one-hour drama at NBC.
James, who joined the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent this summer, will be co-executive producer on the project with actress Elizabeth Banks, according to a Sept. 13 report from Variety.
NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 12: Honoree LeBron James attends the 2016 Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on December 12, 2016 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/FilmMagic)
“Hoops” is currently in development and follows fictional former star WNBA player and coach Stevie Decker as she goes back to her alma mater to make history as the first female head coach of a men’s college basketball team. She grapples with the toll her career had on her family and her beloved school being entangled in a sex scandal surrounding a legendary former coach she considered a mentor.
This is the latest project James has developed for TV through his SpringHill Entertainment banner along with SpringHill’s Maverick Carter. Deadline reported James recently secured the same kind of development deal for another basketball-themed show from NBC. “Brotherly Love” is a comedy inspired by the life of 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons.
The Philadelphia 76ers star — who played point guard last season at 6 feet 10 — grew up in Australia with an Australian mother and American-born dad and was raised with five siblings. “Brotherly Love” will explore the story of the relationship dynamics of a multi-ethnic group of brothers and sisters as the family pursues its dreams while going through life in the public eye in Philadelphia.
Both shows will see James’ SpringHill Entertainment banner behind them.
These are the latest projects the four-time NBA MVP has brought to the small screen. He’s also working on a scripted drama about Madame C.J. Walker featuring Octavia Spencer, which is set for Netflix, and a Muhammad Ali documentary for HBO. The athlete’s SpringHill also produces the NBC game show “The Wall.”
