LeBron James will be producing a docu-series for #Showtime that focuses on how athletes have transitioned into political and social leaders.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
On Monday, Showtime CEO & President, David Nevins announced the big news while attending a summer press tour. The three-part docu-series titled “Shut Up and Dribble” was named after the conservative Laura Ingraham’s remarks to James back in February when Golden State Warriors players declined Trump’s invitation to the White House after the 2018 NBA Finals.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The docu-series will touch on the 1976 merger of the ABA and NBA, and how the league eventually became a platform where athletes could stretch outside of the court to influence other fields including fashion, politics and other forms of media.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The project will be presented by Showtime Sports Documentary Films and James’ Springhill Entertainment. James will act as executive producer along with Springhill’s Maverick Carter and Rich Paul, Martin Desmond Roe, Chris Uetwiller, Datari Turner, and Gotham Chopra, who will also direct, according to Variety.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
“If being a star athlete is inherently a political experience, ‘Shut Up and Dribble’ tells that complex and dramatic story from the past to the present and from the inside out,” said Nevins. “LeBron James is one of many competitors whose place in the spotlight has led not to silence but perspective, and he, Maverick Carter and Gotham Chopra have given us an important, insightful docuseries that should bring their fans and fellow citizens to a higher level of discourse, rather than the dismissal satirized in the title.”
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The series is set to air in October.
