LeBron, Inc.
The Making of a Billion-Dollar Athlete
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4.4 • 5 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
From the New York Times bestselling author of Return of the King comes the story of LeBron James's incredible transformation from basketball star to sports and business mogul.
With eight straight trips to the NBA Finals, LeBron James has proven himself one of the greatest basketball players of all time. And like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan before him, LeBron has also become a global brand and businessman who has altered the way professional athletes think about their value, maximize their leverage, and use their voice.
LeBron, Inc. tells the story of James's journey down the path to becoming a billionaire sports icon - his successes, his failures, and the lessons both have taught him along the way. With plenty of newsmaking tidbits about his rollercoaster last season in Cleveland and high-profile move to the Lakers, LeBron, Inc. shows how James has changed the way most elite athletes manage their careers, and how he launched a movement among his peers that may last decades beyond his playing days.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In workmanlike prose, sportswriter Windhorst (Return of the King) focuses on NBA superstar Lebron James's life as a highly successful businessman. James earned $765 million in salary and endorsements during his 19 years in the NBA, and, as Windhorst writes, "LeBron's awareness of how he can use his celebrity and popularity to gain leverage in business transactions has fed his bottom line and enabled him to funnel money to charities he cares about without having to reach into his own pocket." Windhorst chronicles how James evolved from being a high school, first-round draft pick who lived in poverty, to a superstar who had deals with Beats by Dre, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Microsoft, Nike, and others. Windhorst also notes James's less-than-stellar business gambles, such as the ill-fated Decision TV show in 2010, where Lebron announced that he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to play for the Miami Heat. James's impoverished upbringing, Windhorst points out, fueled his interest in philanthropic projects, which include building a school for disadvantaged students in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. Whether James "reaches his goal of team ownership or he finds a new pursuit is yet to be seen," Windhorst writes, but "his horizons are still expanding." This is a shoo-in for business-minded sports fans.
