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Between “Beckham,” “The Quarterback” and the universally acclaimed “The Last Dance,” we’re clearly at the pinnacle of sports documentaries. Now, four-time NBA champion LeBron James and Hall of Famer Peyton Manning have teamed up with the Obamas’ production company to launch their own NBA-centric sports series, type You’ve confirmed it.
James’ SpringHill company, which he founded with business partner Maverick Carter, will join Manning’s production company Omaha Productions and the Obamas’ High Ground. The show will be broken into episodes to follow the lives of different NBA athletes, similar to the Netflix documentary series “The Quarterbacks,” which follows three NFL quarterbacks during the 2022-2023 football season.
Height’s “American Factory” won the 2019 Academy Award for Best Documentary, and previous films “Crip Camp” and “Becoming” were nominated. The production company currently has a first-look deal with Netflix, leading to speculation that the yet-to-be-filmed series could be available on the streamer.
Manning, a former quarterback and two-time Super Bowl champion, launched Omaha Productions in 2020. In addition to “The Quarterback,” the media company also produces the Emmy Award-winning show “Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli,” which features the Manning brothers during ESPN games and “Peyton’s Place” Comment.
James co-founded SpringHill Company in 2008 with Maverick Carter. The production company’s credits include 2021’s “Space Jam: A New Legacy”; Netflix’s “Hustle,” starring Adam Sandler; and the YouTube talk show “The Shop.”
The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news, said the NBA documentary will likely end up on Netflix, with the NBA also involved in the discussions.