I've written about Lebron James numerous times in the past two months, which isn't intentional, but he continues to give me more good things to write about. On August 28th, Lebron's new series called "The Shop" premiered on HBO. The show was created and produced by Lebron James, longtime friend Maverick Carter, and other notable producers that have worked on other HBO documentaries. The concept of the show is Lebron and other notable athletes and celebrities talk about controversial topics in a barbershop.
The topics discussed range from racism, sexism, and politics. One topic that caught my attention was when Lebron discussed how his house was vandalized last year. Someone wrote the "n-word" on his house, which caused a media firestorm. The celebrities and athletes that sat with Lebron were Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., rapper Snoop Dogg, comedian Jon Stewart, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, rapper Vince Staples, WNBA star Candice Parker, Eagles defensive tackle Micheal Bennet, and comedian Jerrod Carmichael. Everyone who sat down with Lebron has been vocal about social issues in the past, so it made sense that they would be guests on his show.
Another topic they discussed that I thought was interesting was about how Lebron regretted naming his son Lebron. He didn't realize how much pressure he was putting on his son, because Lebron has done so much in his career. It's cool to see how celebrities think about the current state of the world because we don't hear about their views often. Celebrities being so transparent is rare, so I love how Lebron has created a platform for celebrities to freely voice their opinions.
As an African American, I think it's positive to see successful black people all together talking about issues that we face on a regular basis. Police brutality, unfair socioeconomic opportunities, racism, and prejudice are issues that black people face. I suggest anyone interested in hearing interesting points of views on social issues should watch this show. I will eagerly be sitting at my TV when the next episode premieres because I know it's going to be informative and enlightening. The world is a controversial place, so hearing about these controversies from another perspective is nice.
