In addition to being one of the best players in NBA history, LeBron James has built an empire off the court with his savvy business acumen. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar does not let any opportunity to promote his ventures pass by. He had the opportunity to promote one of his newest investments during the All-Star weekend and was immediately on top of it.
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Before the NBA All-Star game, James sat down with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal, and Charles Barkley on TNT’s Tip-Off and came bearing gifts. He brought a bag full of The Shop grooming products, a business venture owned by the Lakers superstar and his agent, Maverick Carter. He gifted it to Smith after Barkley trolled him for having bald patches in his beard. James said,
“So I heard yesterday Charles was getting on you Kenny about when your beard gonna connect. So I’m making sure we gonna expedite this process. So we got The Shop beard cream for you. We gonna get that going. We got some shaving cream. We got some face wash.”
The crew and James then went through a montage of O’Neal and Smith sporting hilarious wigs and laughed at Shaq’s failed attempt at proving that he did not dye his beard.
“So I heard yesterday Charles was getting on you Kenny about when your beard gonna connect.” @KingJames gifts The Fellas with his new @TheShopUN beard products! pic.twitter.com/gIqqJ8Sv2b
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 19, 2024
James promoting his new men’s grooming brand on the Tip-Off show with every NBA fan watching was another example of his stellar business acumen. He even promoted some of the products by name on purpose to ensure viewers learned more about the brand. The Lakers superstar’s seven-product grooming line couldn’t have asked for a better platform than the Tip-Off show.
James’ The Shop Men’s Grooming Line will be available at Walmart from April 1st. All seven products cost less than $10, making them affordable personal care solutions for grooming needs.
History of LeBron James’ The Shop
LeBron James and Maverick Carter launched The Shop on HBO in 2017. The show’s unique barbershop setting and candid nature made it an instant hit. Explaining how he conceptualized the idea, the Lakers superstar explained in a Hollywood Reporter interview,
“When I was a kid, being in barbershops meant listening to adults talk about sports, clothing, politics, music, everything happened in the shop. It was so real and so candid, no one had a sense of, well I can’t be myself here. That’s how The Shop became an idea.”
The Shop debuted on HBO in 2018 and was exclusively available on the network until 2021. The show moved to YouTube in 2022 and has since been its home. The Shop has had guests from all walks of life. A multitude of world-famous movie stars, politicians, sports icons, and rap artists have appeared on the show to have a candid conversation and get a haircut.
The Shop won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Edited Sports Series in 2021, making it a critical and commercial hit. James and Maverick’s brainchild has already yielded a hit talk show, and they are expanding its impact with a grooming line, showcasing that their grind never halts.
