During his stunning 15-year career in the NBA, LeBron James has won everything he can, breaking records at a rate of knots and developing into a worldwide brand.
However, the four-time MVP is determined to transport that success off the court and has revealed plans to own an NBA team.
While there's no suggestion LeBron might retire in the immediate future—he signed a three-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers only last summer—he clearly has been planning with one eye on the future.
One of the routes he might embark on once his playing days are over leads to taking control of a franchise.
"Ain't no maybe about it, I'm going to do that s**t," the 34-year-old told The Athletic when asked about the possibility of owning an NBA team.
"I want to be my own boss, like I have been for a long time now."
As the greatest player of his generation, it is not difficult to envisage LeBron wanting to cement his NBA legacy off the court.
Michael Jordan, the man James is consistently compared to in the debate over who is the greatest player of all-time, owns a majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets, which could prove further motivation for LeBron.
The three-time NBA champion is incredibly well-connected within the basketball world and as one of the wealthiest and most popular athletes in the world, one suspects he wouldn't be short of investors backing him.
However, as Jordan has demonstrated, being arguably the greatest player in NBA history doesn't automatically translate to success off the court. Since the six-time NBA champion took control of the Bobcats—as they were known then—in 2010, the franchise has made the playoffs just twice and never won 50 games in a season.
LeBron didn't elaborate over which franchise he would like to take control of, but one of his former teammates did. Dwyane Wade admitted he would entertain the idea of buying a minority stake in the Miami Heat at some stage, if the opportunity arose.
"Obviously, [the Heat] organization is the first one I would love to talk about that when the time is right," the Heat legend was quoted as saying by The Miami Herald.
"I live on the West Coast as well. I would definitely love Seattle to come back and be a part of the NBA because it's a great sports town."
LeBron and Wade won two titles during their time together in Miami, and the prospect of their returning to South Beach as owners is definitely intriguing.
For the time being, however, LeBron will have to focus on the Lakers. Los Angeles is on a two-game losing streak and has dropped to 28-29 for the season, three games behind the Los Angeles Clippers, who currently hold the final playoff berth in the Western Conference.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Dan Cancian is currently a reporter for Newsweek based in London, England. Prior to joining Newsweek in January 2018, he ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
