In 2014, LeBron James made another big leap in his career by deciding to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers after winning two championships with the Miami Heat. While LeBron’s re-signing to the Cavs was finalized, he and his entourage were deciding on the best way to convey his arrival to Cleveland that would have much lesser drastic repercussions than ‘The Decision.’
Advertisement
Adam Mendelsohn, an advisor to the 4x NBA champion with a political background, suggested it would be proficient to hand letters to the fans, which would help grab their attention. ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst elaborated on this incident in his book LeBron Inc.: Making of a Billion-Dollar Athlete, wherein he wrote,
“In 2014, they realized just how well it was going over on the flight after the letter came out. LeBron had made the announcement from Miami and signed the contract with the Cavs that evening before he took an overnight flight to Rio de Janeiro, where he was doing some Nike business around the World Cup Final.
Thus came LeBron James’ famous ‘I’m coming home’ essay, wherein he conveyed his return to Cleveland via the Sports Illustrated website. Interestingly, LeBron James and his entourage devised this idea while on a flight to Rio de Janeiro, just moments after he announced signing a contract with the Cavs,
As the Nike Gulfstream jet headed south over the Caribbean and the high-end red wine was cracked open, the group started talking about the reaction and what it could teach them. Like with The Decision, it was really about athlete empowerment. LeBron had something he wanted to say, and by going directly to the fans he was able to create a connection that, this time at least, had paid off.”
While sitting on the flight, LeBron and his entourage noted one of his essay’s lines, “I’m doing this essay because I want an opportunity to explain myself uninterrupted.” From this, the entourage realized that LeBron’s essay helped create a dialogue that would go uninterrupted by both the media and social media consumers, thus making it a one-way message. LeBron James found the opportunity and the outlet to express himself freely, which, as Mendelsohn recommended, was the power of digital media.
This led to the creation of UNINTERRUPTED, a digital platform for athletes to share their stories and messages ‘uninterrupted’ with the fans and media. Furthermore, LeBron James and his crew also realized the potential profit for the athletes from such a platform. If the stories can sell and brand their interests in them, it could potentially help the athletes get sponsorships and endorsements, which could help elevate their careers.
Uninterrupted is now a brand worth over $1 million
LeBron James’ idea of starting UNINTERRUPTED was unique and out of the box for its time. Almost ten years later, the platform has started gaining a lot of traction, with estimates suggesting the brand’s net worth is around $1,220,000 to $1,710,000.
In 2018, the brand also started a talk show called The Shop, which premiered on HBO on August 28, 2018. As of now, the show has moved to YouTube and has won a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Edited Sports Series in 2021.
UNINTERRUPTED has also found patronage from several stars, including Rap mogul Drake, who became a part owner and promoter of the brand’s operations in Canada. Drake helped bring Uninterrupted to Canada after his home team, the Toronto Raptors, won the NBA championship in 2019.
The brand currently works as a platform for promoting sports in Canada, especially in collaboration with the country’s biggest teams, such as the Toronto Blue Jays, the Raptors, as well as the NHL franchise Toronto Maple Leafs.
