*By Max Godnick*
LeBron James is ready to add another title to his already gilded resume: Hollywood mogul.
The three-time NBA champion and four-time MVP redrew the professional basketball landscape when he announced he will join the Los Angeles Lakers. The move allows him to work and live closer to his already impressive entertainment empire. His production company, SpringHill Entertainment, is based on the Warner Bros. lot, just a few miles up the 101 Freeway from his new primary office, the STAPLES Center.
"The ease of him being in the heart of Hollywood is really setting up the next stage of what his professional career is going to be," said Sean O'Connell, the managing editor at Cinemablend, in an interview with Cheddar on Tuesday.
James's slate of upcoming projects includes a remake of the 1990 comedy "House Party," multiple series and documentaries in the works at Netflix and HBO, and the long-rumored sequel to the Michael Jordan-Bugs Bunny collaboration, "Space Jam." He'll be physically much closer to their development, production, and marketing processes in Los Angeles than he was in Cleveland or Miami.
The basketball star is still months away from suiting up as a Laker for the first time, but he's already drawing comparisons to some of the entertainment industry's biggest names.
"I think he's primarily going to become a dominant producing force and maybe becomes like an Oprah-type person who launches his own channel, and it's loaded with content that speaks to his interests," said O'Connell.
The current Hollywood landscape puts a premium on A-list talent with worldwide fan bases. The past few months have seen Winfrey ink a multi-year content partnership with Apple, while Barack and Michelle Obama signed a deal with Netflix.
ESPN recently ranked James second on its [annual list](http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/WorldFame/espn-world-fame-100-2018#) of the most famous names in sports - only trailing international soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo. While he clearly doesn't need any help expanding the scope of his fame or influence, James's new home could allow his ambitions and portfolio to reach even higher heights.
"LeBron is a household name and a household face before he even steps into the entertainment realm," said O'Connell. "He can become a true media mogul and make this transition."
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/lebron-james-brings-his-entertainment-empire-to-hollywood)
After a seven-year hiatus, Nissan is returning to the Super Bowl action-packed, star-studded commercial. Allyson Witherspoon, Nissan's Chief Marketing Officer, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the concept of the ad campaign and how it gives clues into where the brand is heading next.
'Pixstory' is an integrity-based social media platform providing a space for healthy dialogue. It was designed to fight misinformation, hate speech, and other forms of toxicity. NBA champion and Pixstory brand ambassador, Dwight Howard, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Chris Spagnuolo, VP of Content, Champion Gaming, joins Cheddar Bets to break down the lessons learned from betting the NFL this season, and how to make money next season.
Sponsored by BetMGM
Sean Green, Co-Founder, of the Sports Gambling Podcast Network, joins Cheddar Bets to discuss betting on the Big Game, and when to wait it out to buy the lines low.
Sponsored by BetMGM
After tennis player Peng Shuai made an explicit sexual assault allegation toward a former Chinese government official, she disappeared from the public eye. Her recent reappearance with the IOC alongside a Chinese Olympic committee official raised eyebrows and renewed concerns for her safety. Asian affairs expert Gordon Chang, author of "The Coming Collapse of China," joined Wake Up With Cheddar to discuss Peng Shuai's retraction and the various human rights controversies swirling at the Beijing games. "It's clear that the IOC was working with Beijing to make sure that she did not express herself freely," Chang said. "So really this is the IOC being complicit in these mechanisms of control over Peng."
Team USA is still searching for its first gold at the Beijing Winter Olympics that is held amid geopolitical tensions and a global pandemic. Cheddar News speaks with Stephen Cannella, Co-Editor-in-Chief of Sports Illustrated about the highlights and disappointments so far.
The opening ceremony of the 2022 winter Olympics has kicked off at the Beijing national stadium. 150,000 spectators are in attendance for the games inside the 'closed loop' system separating Olympic personnel from the public. Cheddar News spoke with Brian Cazenueve, Sports Illustrated contributor, to share the highlights you may have missed and much more.
Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores has filed a lawsuit against his old team along with the Denver Broncos and the New York Giants. Flores alleged that the league has been following racist practices in its hiring process. Former NFL quarterback and Sports Analyst and Commentator, Lester Ray Ricard Jr, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
