By Chris Wright
Liverpool have confirmed that NBA star LeBron James (who, our sources tell us, is a very famous basketball man) has become a minority stakeholder in the club after signing a marketing deal with owners Fenway Sports Group.
FSG have announced that they have completed a deal to partner James’ sports-marketing firm, LRMR Branding & Marketing, to become his exclusive worldwide representative – thus landing the Miami Heat star with a minority stake in Liverpool as part of the contract, though the extent of James’ interest in the club has not been disclosed.
FSG and Liverpool chairman Tom Werner said in a statement:
“We believe this will be a powerful collaboration between FSG, LRMR and LeBron. There are very few athletes who can match his global reach, appeal and iconic status.
“We are very excited that LeBron will be part of the Liverpool FC family. LeBron and Liverpool each has a powerful presence internationally, with particular strength in Asia, but we feel…being identified together in emerging international markets will result in unforeseen opportunities that neither would have been able to realise alone.”
James himself said:
“I am thrilled to be working with John Henry and Tom Werner. These guys, like me, have a passion for sports.
“You can see the drive and commitment they have for their teams. For me, this is about being in business with an organisation that loves sports as much as I do.”
Summary: Asia’s where the money is.