NBC is already in the LeBron James business, with the news from earlier this week that the network had ordered a pilot of the show Brotherly Love. James and his company SpringHill Entertainment produced the show based on the life of fellow NBA star Ben Simmons.
Now the Peacock is ready to double dip with the best basketball player on Earth. NBC has ordered a script from SpringHill for a show called Hoops. It is a one-hour drama being developed for actress Elizabeth Banks.
The show focuses on a recently retired WNBA star that has returned to her alma matter to be the head coach of the men’s basketball team. To add a little drama to the plot, the school and her mentor are caught up in a sexual misconduct scandal.
Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing noted that nothing is a given yet, but LeBron and SpringHill Entertainment certainly have reason to celebrate.
It’s hard to see NBC actually bringing two basketball-themed shows to the airwaves together, even though one may be a comedy and one may be a drama. In addition, NBC has already made something of a financial commitment to both series, so maybe there’s a chance we see it happen. Even if one of these shows gets to NBC’s primetime lineup, it’d be quite the achievement for James as his media empire continues to expand.
What may be more impressive is that the company is producing content in several different genres for several different networks. The James family’s move to LA was the only thing missing in LeBron’s quest to be a Hollywood power player.
