Like many other contemporaries of his draft class, LeBron James grew up idolizing the great Michael Jordan. James considered His Airness his hero for the longest time, wanting to emulate his greatness similarly when drafted into the league. However, over time, adult LeBron James started shifting his focus from MJ and idolizing a $1.4 billion rapper from New York. That rapper was none other than Jay-Z, whose incredible business acumen, besides his art, inspired LeBron James to follow the same pathway. In the book LeBron James Inc., Brian Windhorst duly notes LeBron’s change in alliances over time.
Advertisement
LeBron James has become one of the finest business minds in the NBA. He had always wanted to grow his business portfolio smartly and efficiently. Indeed, no one was as inspirational for him as Jay-Z for LeBron, given the hip-hop star built a $1.4 billion net worth with his business investments and his very own Roc-A-Fella Records.
LeBron James’ business acumen was inspired by Jay-Z venturing further from his music career
Jay-Z is undoubtedly as influential to hip-hop as Michael Jordan is to basketball. In the late ’90s and early 2000s, aside from making millions from superhit songs, Jay-Z also made money from his various business advents.
From selling beer, computers, and a clothing line, to owning his recording label, Jay-Z branching out further than music was making him millions of dollars. This inspired LeBron. And he wanted to have a similar business profile as the New York rapper.
In the book LeBron James Inc., Brian Windhorst noted how Jay-Z inspired LeBron to build his business acumen further. Here is an excerpt from the book explaining Jay-Z’s venture into business and management.
“Jay-Z he started to feel a connection to. Not just because of the music, which he loved, but also how Jay-Z branched out. Jay-Z took control of his management. He did straight pitches-selling everything from high-end watches to beer to computers but he also created businesses. He had his own record label, his own clothing line. Eventually he had his own sports representation agency and music-streaming service. He made millions selling songs, but he made tens of millions becoming an influencer and attaching his name to help sell brands. When Jay-Z regularly attended games in New York and Los Angeles, these were the things they talked about. And Wesley was often there, offering ways to help LeBron go in that direction.”
In helping LeBron build his business empire, one of his agents, William Weasely, helped him tremendously. Jay-Z used the clever tactic of being a brand influencer, helping him raise his net worth and clients. Similarly, LeBron James always signed deals that would personally benefit him in the long run. James later revealed that his Nike rookie deal was one of his best business deals, eventually making him a billionaire lifetime athlete.
James and Jay-Z have always been appreciative of each other
LeBron and Jay-Z have appreciated each other several times during their public appearances. Jay-Z had known LeBron since high school and always had faith in him reaching the heights of success. During the 2023 All-Star Game, Jay-Z was impressed by LeBron’s performance and hailed him for his ‘greatness.’
In his song ‘God Did,’ Jay-Z shouted out LeBron James while also talking about other pressing issues, such as the drug war. King James seemed to be an absolute fan of the song, praising Jay-Z’s verses as ‘GOAT’ talk.
