HBO and LeBron James are teaming up for a documentary titled “Student Athlete”. The documentary will showcase the true struggle of playing collegiate sports and how the industry affects student athletes and their families through a collection of players and a former NFL coach with expert knowledge on the matter.
The documentary is produced by both James’ business manager Maverick Carter of SpringHill Entertainment and Steve Stoute of United Masters; with LeBron James serving as the executive producer. It is directed by Oscar-winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy along with Trish Dalton.
“This is an incredibly important story about the institutional denial of basic human rights for these student athletes,” says Maverick Carter, CEO of SpringHill Entertainment. “When Steve Stoute brought us this idea, it was a perfect fit for the kind of stories we want to tell at SpringHill. We’re excited to work with one of the best human rights storytellers in Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy to help people see and feel how this issue impacts the lives of those living it.”
The personalities of “Student Athlete” include former NCAA and NFL coach John Shoop; Nick Richards whom plays basketball at the University of Kentucky; Mike Shaw, who played at the University of Illinois and Bradley University; Shamar Graves, a former wide receiver at Rutgers University; and Silas Nacita, a walk-on who played at Baylor University.
“Student Athlete” will attempt to give light to the issues of student athletes not being compensated for their work while the NCAA brings in billions of dollars. It aims to go much deeper than the normal perception of America’s most one-sided business, and show just how dirty the NCAA’s revenue is.
“The NCAA blinded by revenue goals is turning student athletes into full-time employees,” said Steve Stoute, Founder & CEO of United Masters. “This documentary is incredibly important as it debunks the myth that student athletes are being fairly compensated by receiving scholarships and a valuable education. In fact, the demands put on these students by this oppressive system makes it impossible for them to get the education they deserve. The time is now to end this false narrative and reveal the truth of this exploitation.”
The two fantastic women that directed the documentary were tasked with, “Capturing athletes’ hopes and dreams being shattered by the harsh reality of what it means to be a ‘student athlete’ in a billion-dollar industry.”
“Student Athlete” will debut on Tuesday Oct. 2 on HBO from 10-11:30 PM Eastern Time.
