LeBron James is one of the greatest to ever play professional basketball. But he’s now going to be affiliated with the man known as The Greatest.
According to Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports, the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar will help produce a new Muhammad Ali documentary for HBO. The legendary boxer passed away earlier this year.
Not long after donating $2.5M to Muhammad Ali wing @ Smithsonian, LeBron James & Maverick Carter announced they will produce Ali doc for HBO
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) December 12, 2016
LeBron’s statement on the multi-part series, via Zillgitt:
“It’s tough to put into words how much it means to me to be a part of this project honoring the legacy and telling the extremely important story of the great Muhammad Ali,” James said in a news release.
“He transcended sports and used his platform to empower people, which paved the way for all athletes and people of every race and gender that came after him, myself included. It’s important that his story continues for generations to come, and it’s an honor for SpringHill Entertainment and me to be a part of this.”
As Zillgitt mentions in the tweet, LeBron had already contributed to Ali’s legacy in the aftermath of the boxer’s death by donating a large sum of money for a museum exhibition.
Ali was a generational superstar in more ways than one. He was a phenomenal boxer known for his quick feet and quick wit. But more importantly, he did not shy away from political and social commentary. Ali is perhaps best known for avoiding the draft during the Vietnam War, citing his faith as a reason to not partake in the violence.
For many young people, Ali’s legacy is not as well known. They did not grow up watching his fights inside and outside of the boxing ring. With LeBron James’ help, they’ll be able to see a glimpse of how much he meant to sports and social issues in this new Muhammad Ali documentary.
