Naomi Osaka and LeBron James are set to make their Hollywood debut, here’s HOW
NBA star LeBron James and former tennis number one Naomi Osaka are becoming teammates in the entertainment world. Tennis star Osaka and his agent and business partner, Stuart Duguid, are creating a media company called Hana Kuma in partnership with The Springhill Company, which was created by NBA stars James and Maverick Carter.
Tuesday’s announcement comes soon after Osaka and Duguid started athlete representation agency EVOLVE. “Creators of Color have finally had a blast being equipped with the resources and a massive platform,” Osaka said in a press release regarding their latest venture.
“In the streaming age, there is a more global view of content. You can see it in the popularity of television in Asia, Europe and Latin America that the unique can also be universal. My story is also proof of this. I’m so excited for what we’re building at Hana Kuma. We bring stories to life with this goal in mind: to make unique perspectives feel universal and inspire people along the way. ,
That’s why we call ourselves an Empowerment Company. This incredible woman and the stories she is going to bring to life are just us!!! She is incredibly proud to call her my partner. @naomiosaka @makespringhill #MoreThananAthlete https://t.co/mellHFKP9Q — LeBron James (@KingJames) June 21, 2022
The 24-year-old Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion who has also risen to No. 1 in the WTA rankings. He was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and Haitian father; The family moved to New York when Naomi was 3 years old and now lives in Los Angeles. Osaka recently said that she will not play Wimbledon for the second year in a row. She has not taken part on the tour since her first-round loss at the French Open last month.
According to Forbes, Osaka became the world’s highest-paid female athlete in 2020 by netting around $37 million thanks to a long list of sponsorship deals. Recently, she has been taking steps to expand her brand beyond the tennis court.
The production company is the latest project from 24-year-old Osaka and her longtime agent Stuart Duguid as they prepare to move to Hollywood. The two also have a sports agency called Evolve, which on Monday signed Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios as the first member of its roster.
When asked about EVOLVE at Roland Garros, Osaka said: “I think role models are really important, just watching someone do something – and it makes you feel like you can do the same thing. I found it really interesting that there wasn’t a female athlete who had done it before, but so many men have been. So I think it’s a journey, and I think I’m going to learn a lot in this journey Am.”
(with PTI input)