A few years ago, LeBron James began preparations for his post-NBA career by founding digital media platform, “Uninterrupted.” The company produces podcasts and video content by and about professional athletes.
It is funded by Warner Bros. and located in Burbank, Calif., which has further fueled speculation James may want to join the Los Angeles Lakers next season when he begins the final chapter of his storied basketball career.
Uninterrupted just launched an entertaining new video series, ‘Rolling with The Champion,’ hosted by Cari Champion, who was previously an anchor and reporter for the Tennis Channel and is currently an anchor for ESPN’s SportsCenter.
Champion interviews professional athletes in the relaxed setting of an Uber vehicle while she drives them around Los Angeles. Wanting to get off to a fast start, the first episode of the series featured none other than Los Angeles’ newest sports hero, Lonzo Ball.
Sitting in the back of the Uber, the Lakers point guard and face of the franchise was his normal, relaxed, soft-spoken and low-key self. He was asked how he handles fame and the difference between the attention he received at UCLA versus the massive, world-wide spotlight that is on him now.
Ball explained that while he was often recognized in college, since joining the Lakers he cannot go anywhere in world without being mobbed which did require some adjustment. Other subjects covered in the interview ranged from Ball’s favorite rappers to the tips he has received so far from Magic Johnson about basketball and life in general.
One bit of advice Johnson game him was, “Be nice to everybody.”
Toward the end of the ride, a quick stop was made to pick up another passenger, who turned out to be Ball’s teammate and fellow Lakers rookie, Kyle Kuzma. Recently, Ball was quoted as saying that Kuzma has become his best friend.
Kuzma was, predictably, asked questions about Ball rather than about himself. Seemingly whenever any Laker player is interviewed he inevitably is asked the same questions about Ball: What is he really like? What are his best qualities as a player? What does he do to make the players around him better?
So far it has not been a distraction, however, since Ball is a likable and humble young man who has the support and respect of his teammates.
That Uninterrupted chose Ball as the subject of the premier episode of its new series will no doubt fuel more speculation about James’ growing connection to the city of Los Angeles and to the Lakers.
He recently wished Ball happy birthday on twitter and Ball repeated in an interview the other day that James was his favorite player growing up and is still his favorite player.
