*Having the ultimate last laugh on his conservative haters, LeBron James is executive producing “Shut Up and Dribble” for Showtime, the cable network’s president and CEO David Nevins announced Monday at the TCA summer press tour.
The three-part documentary series, to premiere in October, will chronicle the changing role of athletes in the current political environment.
The title is taken from conservative pundit Laura Ingraham’s comment to James in February when, he co-signed the decision of Golden State Warriors players to decline an invitation to the White House after the 2018 NBA Finals. The controversy launches the series as it chronicles the modern history of the NBA and its players, starting with the 1976 merger of the freewheeling ABA and the more conventional NBA of today.
“If being a star athlete is inherently a political experience, ‘Shut Up and Dribble’ tells that complex and dramatic story from the past to the present and from the inside out,” said Nevins. “LeBron James is one of many competitors whose place in the spotlight has led not to silence but perspective, and he, Maverick Carter and Gotham Chopra have given us an important, insightful docuseries that should bring their fans and fellow citizens to a higher level of discourse, rather than the dismissal satirized in the title.”
The league soon became an incubator for many of its top athletes to grow their brands beyond the court, becoming powerful players in commerce and fashion, and transcending the game to become cultural icons.
“Shut Up and Dribble” is a presentation of Showtime Sports Documentary Films and James’ SpringHill Entertainment. James will executive produce along with Springhill’s Maverick Carter and Rich Paul, Martin Desmond Roe, Chris Uetwiller, Datari Turner, and Chopra, who will also direct.
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