*Naomi Osaka has joined forces with LeBron James to launch a new media company called Hana Kuma.
The tennis champ and NBA star will use the platform to produce documentaries as well as scripted and unscripted series, ESPN reports.
“What excites me is being able to inspire people and tell new stories, particularly ones that I would have wanted to see when I was a kid,” Osaka said in an interview with The New York Times. “I always wanted to kind of see someone like me.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hana Kuma’s first project is a documentary about former Hawaiian congresswoman Patsy Mink — the first woman of color elected to Congress and the sponsor of Title IX.
READ MORE: Naomi Osaka Teams with Agent to Launch Sports Agency
Naomi Osaka is launching her own media company — Hana Kuma — in partnership with LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s The SpringHill Company.
“We’ll bring stories to life with this goal: to make unique perspectives feel universal and inspire people along the way” – @naomiosaka pic.twitter.com/hW0rOJ2cav
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 21, 2022
“I’ve built my career taking a different approach than those around me,” Osaka said in a statement shared on her Instagram.
“And because my journey has been so different it’s opened my eyes to all the incredible stories out there that aren’t getting told,” Osaka, 24, explained. “Stories that are global, about a variety of cultures and points of view, about important social issues.”
“That’s why I’m launching Hana Kuma, a media platform focused on stories that are culturally specific but universal,” she continued. “Stories that are bold and playful like me.”
Read her full statement via the IG post below.
View this post on Instagram
James praised Osaka’s “grace and power” to the Times and noted that their partnership would “help empower her to do even more great things.”
Last month Osaka announced the launch of her new athlete management agency called Evolve. She recently signed fellow tennis star Nick Kyrgios as its first client.
“I’ve spent my career doing things my way, even when people told me that it wasn’t what was expected or traditional, Evolve is the natural next step in my journey as both an athlete and businesswoman,” Osaka told Sportico.
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