These role models in their respective sports are ready to tell fresh stories.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka is partnering with four-time NBA champion LeBron James to launch a media company.
READ ALSO: Most Valuable Player: LeBron James Is The First Active NBA Athlete To Become A Billionaire
Known as “Hana Kuma,” the new media organization will focus on “culturally specific but universal” stories.
The name means “flower bear,” according to the Japanese tennis player.
“I’ve built my career taking a different approach than those around me and because my journey has been so different it’s opened my eyes to all the incredible stories out there that aren’t getting told. Stories that are global, about a variety of cultures and points of view, about important social issues,” Osaka, the first Asian player to hold the No. 1 ranking, posted.
The tennis champion said such stories would be “bold and playful like me.”
She said she is incredibly proud to be building a business that is a true reflection of her and couldn’t think of a better partner than James.
“There’s a reason we call ourselves an Empowerment Company. This incredible woman (Osaka) and the stories she is going to bring to life is EXACTLY what we about!!! Incredibly proud to call her my partner,” James posted.
The 18-time NBA all-star owns the video production firm SpringHill Company, which will serve as a financing, operating, and producing partner for Hana Kuma.
Diversifying assets
Osaka and James are also collaborating with the former’s agent, Stuart Duguid, and the latter’s partner at SpringHill Company, founder and chief executive officer Maverick Carter.
Lastly, James and Carter’s athlete empowerment brand Uninterrupted completes the team.
“Can’t wait to share our stories,” Osaka concluded.
Forbes named Osaka the world’s highest-paid female athlete after she set a $60-million earnings record as of May 2021. This year she made nearly the same amount with her annual off-the-court earnings surpassing $50 million.
Meanwhile, James is the second-highest-paid athlete overall and the first active NBA player to become a billionaire.
Banner Photo by Naomi Osaka and LeBron James via Instagram
