Why LeBron James can help Liverpool grow their global brand

In the concluding installment of his two-part special, Chris Beesley speaks to Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times about LeBron James - the basketball superstar cited as being a key factor in Liverpool's High Court victory with Nike.

NBA superstar LeBron James doesn't just hold a minority stake in Liverpool, he claims to be a passionate fan of the Reds.

He described his 2011 trip to Anfield to watch Kenny Dalglish's side's 1-1 draw with old foes Manchester United as “one of the single best experiences of my life.”

As a man who is almost as savvy with marketing his public image as he is on the basketball court, James appears to have something of the Midas touch when it comes to his endorsements but there was one notable exception.

In 2010 when his contract with his local team the Cleveland Cavaliers – he was born in Akron, Ohio less than 40 miles away – was about to expire, James shows to unveil what his next move would be in the form of a special one-off television show called The Decision.

Although the broadcast helped raise millions of dollars for charitable causes, it was seen by many as being a somewhat crass way of James announcing that he was about to depart what was in essence his home town club to join the Miami Heat.

Arash Markazi, a sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times, told the ECHO: “I think The Decision backfired for him. If you look at LeBron James' career, I think one of the mistakes he made was to leave Cleveland in the fashion that he did.

“Having The Decision show as opposed to a heartfelt press conference didn't sit well. Basically Cleveland found out that 'their son' was leaving through that and I don't know if that wound healed until he went back there and won a championship with them.

“It was a ground-breaking television moment but one that LeBron James would probably have handled in a different way.”

After a four year stint in Florida between 2010-14 in which he won a brace of NBA titles, James returned to Cleveland for a second spell from 2014-18 in which he added a third title and it seems the experience of 'The Decision' did not put him off from appearing in front of the cameras though with a move to Tinseltown last year.

Markazi said: “It seemed an inevitability that LeBron would end up in Los Angeles given what he wants to do off the court.

“He wanted to get involved in the entertainment realm and Hollywood.

“I do think that he wanted to become part of one of the more historical franchises in sports but he'd already bought at home in Los Angeles a few years ago and spent his summers here.

“As he looked at what he wanted to accomplish once he'd finished his career, it was always Hollywood and Los Angeles.

“So this was the perfect transition for him, not only to come to one of the best-known teams in basketball, but start adjusting for life after his sporting career.”

Judge Mr Justice Nigel Teare highlighted the likes of James and tennis player Serena Williams as the calibre of athlete that the Nike stable could offer and an element that New Balance simply could not match in relation to the marketing and distribution of Liverpool products, so just might that play out in reality?

As far back as August 2016, Mark Lev, managing director of Fenway Sports Management, FSG's global sports marketing firm went on record as citing James' pulling power in the Far East – particularly China, an area the Reds are keen to expand in – but he remains a huge drawer with sports fans everywhere and indeed a variety of brands looking for his endorsements.

Markazi said: “The basketball chiefs have really prioritised the overseas trips in terms of the off-season including youth camps and shirt signings.

“Players have realised the importance of growing their brand and doing these trips and I understand they've been very successful.

“Everything he has invested in has done well. There's a pizza joint called Blaze he invested in and within a few years it's become a pretty popular place out here.

“He's one of those guys who has always made it a priority to visualise want he wants to do post his playing career whether that's investing in companies or other ventures.”

James, who was given a 2% stake in Liverpool by FSG back in 2011, maintains that he is a genuine fan of the Reds and he certainly looked enthusiastic enough when attending a match at Anfield and browsing the club store during his visit to Merseyside, shortly after his deal with the club was struck, but can that have any tangible impact?

Markazi said: “There are times that he takes to social media to talk about a big win for Liverpool and I think I've seen him wearing a jersey before.

“I think he gets involved in things 100%. When the team does well he wants to support them, whether that's just sending out a message or even attending a game.

“He can attract those crossover fans he might not follow soccer but they're familiar with LeBron James so he'd be really good in that respect for growing an audience.

“There may be people who aren't fans of any particular Premier League team but because Liverpool are LeBron's team, they start following them too.”