NBA basketball star LeBron James has become a minority stakeholder in Liverpool FC, the club have confirmed.
James, who caused controversy last year when he announced he was leaving Cleveland Cavaliers for Miami Heat on his own television special, has agreed to a relationship between his LRMR Branding & Marketing firm and Fenway Sports Group, the owners of Liverpool FC.
The deal means FSG are the exclusive representative for his sports-marketing company and, as part of the agreement, 26-year-old James has purchased a stake in the Merseyside Giants.
FSG and Reds chairman Tom Werner said: “We believe this will be a powerful collaboration between FSM and LRMR and LeBron.
“There are very few athletes who can match his global reach, appeal and iconic status. We are very excited that LeBron will be part of the Liverpool FC family.
“LeBron and Liverpool each has a powerful presence internationally, with particular strength in Asia, but we feel the business opportunities for both working and being identified together in emerging international markets will result in unforeseen opportunities that neither would have been able to realise alone.”
And James added: “I am thrilled to be working with John Henry and Tom Werner.
“These guys, like me, have a passion for sports. You can see the drive and commitment they have for their teams.
“For me, this is about being in business with an organisation that loves sports as much as I do.”