"We're doing a product line with LeBron and Liverpool" - Tom Werner, Liverpool chairman reveals plans for a collaboration with LeBron James that can rival the Michael Jordan and Nike connection
Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has revealed that they are planning a collaboration with NBA legend LeBron James. The proposed collaboration could rival that of Michael Jordan and Nike.
LA Lakers star James is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in league history. While his skills on the court cannot be denied, he is also a shrewd businessman.
Boston-based Fenway Sports Group bought the English Premier League football club, Liverpool, in 2010. They did so shortly after LeBron James became an investor, who brought a 2% stake in the team for $6.5 million.
Over the years, LeBron James and FSG have continued to partner on different fronts. As revealed by the Boston globe, Liverpool chairman Werner said about the latest collaboration with James:
"We’re doing a product line with LeBron and Liverpool. Nike is creating seven or eight products that connect LeBron with soccer."
He added:
"I don't know specifics yet, but they're going to create seven or eight products that rival the connection that Michael Jordan has with Nike."
LeBron’s set for a collab with Liverpool 🤝 @brfootball https://t.co/1J5z3fCXcR
It is a bold statement, especially considering Jordan and Nike's partnership and the pedigree the Air Jordan brand has built over the years. However, that only goes to show how big the project Nike and LeBron James are reportedly planning.
You don't see collaborations like this often, but MJ has beaten LeBron James to it once again. The Air Jordan brand has been associated with French giants Paris Saint-German. Their third kit has the Jordan Jumpman logo rather than the regular Nike 'swoosh'.
Nevertheless, it is a big move for LeBron James who has made his first official marketing campaign with the 2019 UEFA Champions League winners. Although he has been spotted wearing a Liverpool kit on occasion, that wasn't official.
Can LeBron James lead the LA Lakers to another championship?
While LeBron James is making major moves as a businessman, he hasn't made a promising start to his 19th season in the competition. The LA Lakers have made a stuttering start, going 9-10 on the season to languish in ninth place in the Western Conference.
Saying this has not been an ideal start for the 17-time NBA champions would be an understatement. But there is still enough time for them to turn things around, considering LeBron James' ability to bring out the best from his teammates.
In the few games LeBron James has played this season, the Lakers have lacked chemistry. They have one of the worst defenses in the league at the moment. For a team that finished the 2020-21 season ranked first in defensive rating, that is quite a significant decline, and doesn't augur well for their championship hopes.
James can make everyone in the team better. But given his tryst with injuries, he might not have enough time to turn around the team's fortunes. The Lakers have played 19 games so far this season, but James has featured in only eight.
LeBron James will be suspended one game and Isaiah Stewart will be suspended two games for their roles in the altercation during Lakers-Pistons on Sunday night. https://t.co/8VunirAZ3u
The four-time NBA champion was absent in last night's game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. That's because of a one-match suspension issued by the league for his role in his altercation with the Detroit Pistons' Isaiah Stewart.
The Lakers are not playing like a championship team. If they continue playing this way, they might miss the playoffs altogether. For the team to turn around their fortunes, LeBron James will need to stay healthy, and lead them on a winning run.