LeBron James, the basketball superstar and one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, has recently expressed a "sudden" interest in entering the realm of video game streaming.
James, known for his prowess on the basketball court, is a life-long gamer and a self-proclaimed fan of the Madden NFL series - he grew up playing both basketball and football in his early years at St. Vincent–St. Mary's and was once the No. 1 NFL-ready prospect in Ohio before choosing basketball full-time.
His recent announcement about streaming games like Madden NFL 24 has his fans excited. This development is just the latest in a series of ventures that reflects James's multifaceted interests outside of the basketball court. James previously had collaborations with Epic Games and PlayStation, culminating in a Lebron James skin in Fortnite and Lebron-themed PlayStation 5 accessories, respectively.
The news of James's interest in streaming first came to light through a tweet where he asked which platform to choose for streaming his gameplay. This query quickly turned into a competitive pitch by major streaming platforms. Both the leading platforms, Twitch and Kick, significant players in the streaming industry, extended invitations to James. This is proof of the potential impact his presence could bring to these platforms. Twitch CEO Dan Clancy suggested a dual approach, where James could stream on both Twitch and YouTube, maximizing his reach and engagement with fans.
Of course, the possibility of James pursuing a career in streaming has generated plenty of interest among audiences if divisive. Although his love for football isn't unknown, you'd think that he'd prefer to stream NBA 2K24 instead. Then again, after spending most of his life playing basketball, he probably would like to spend his time in the virtual worlds in a different sport. Either that, or he just wants to steer clear of the controversial nature of the latest NBA 2K entry.