It’s fun to win, and with the NBA’s best record at 20-3, LeBron James has been doing plenty of winning. James is also enjoying the success of his HBO series, The Shop, and his many other television and film projects. Two years ago, the scuttlebutt around the sports world was that James was moving to the Lakers, not for basketball reasons, but because of its proximity to Hollywood and his next career in entertainment. However, the LeBron James brand is still intertwined with achievement on the basketball court and the big surprise last year was how poorly LeBron and the LA Lakers performed on the court. Prior to his move to LA, James played in a record eight consecutive NBA finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat. That streak ended last year when the Lakers failed to make the playoffs. However, things have changed. Not only are the Lakers flying high, LeBron James seems to be having more fun than ever on the court. Social media is filled with clips of James clapping, cheering and dancing with his teammates. James’ enthusiasm seems to correspond with the realization that while his ambitions may span beyond hardwood floor, it’s still the game of basketball that put him in the global spotlight and has provided him with the other opportunities in his life. A lesson for all of us. Stay loyal to the one that brought you here.
I once read that sports are a universal language. Regardless of ethnicity or what language you speak, almost everyone speaks sports. No place has that been more evident than the Olympics, where every four years, we are moved by images of athletic rivals from around the world shaking hands and embracing each other in moving displays of sportsmanship.
The NFL markets its brand as well as any enterprise in the world. I heard a comedian once say that the NFL is so popular, it has its own day. NFL football is huge. Each NFL franchise brings in approximately $400M a year in revenue; almost double the annual revenue of NBA teams and 2 ½ times as much as MLB clubs.