Bugs Bunny is a very good business partner — who knew? Well, some brothers named Warner were in on the secret, and since then a couple of big name NBA superstars have proven it out. First came Michael Jordan, basketball’s first billionaire athlete, who starred with Bugs in the original Space Jam — a movie that should be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Then Jordan’s superstar heir, NBA god LeBron James (that’s King James, of course, in Hollywood) also starred with Bugs Bunny this summer — in a second Space Jam. It’s as if LeBron goes around with the tune “anything you can do I can do better” in his head, and he’s singing to MJ!
The second Space Jam (Space Jam: A New Legacy) was produced by James’s production company, Spring Hill Entertainment — and it’s through this business that James is again on Michael Jordan’s heels. (The two are always tops in the G.O.A.T. argument — greatest of all time.)
But this time the competition between James and Jordan is in the billionaire race, not the basketball legacy marathon. Forbes reports that private equity group RedBird Capital will invest in Spring Hill in a deal that will raise LeBron James’s net worth significantly. He’s already reportedly worth about $850 million and is the majority owner of Spring Hill. The Red Bird deal will put LeBron about a season’s worth of paychecks away from billionaire status.
Gerry Carindale's RedBird Capital is in advanced discussions to make a strategic investment in LeBron James' SpringHill Co.
— Justin Birnbaum (@JustBirny) September 15, 2021
It's a massive win for James, but still doesn't quite bring him to billionaire status.
More from @DawnC331 and myself at @Forbes: https://t.co/iq6eUGJLUG
The debate will never end about who is greater at basketball, Michael Jordan or LeBron James. There are statistics, but they only tell part of every story. As for who gets richer, maybe that’s something easier to track. One thing’s for sure, LeBron James’s road to riches is a lot harder to travel if Michael Jordan doesn’t travel his first. The two will always be linked — and it’s a high compliment to both!
James’s involvement with RedBird predates this deal. He’s a part owner of the Boston Red Sox and the Liverpool Football Club through previous RedBird investments.
