LeBron James Sets Fanatics Jersey Sales Record as ESPN Nears ‘Last Dance’-Style Documentary
LeBron James signed a two‑year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, marking his fourth NBA team. Within 48 hours his No. 23 Sixers jersey became the best‑selling jersey in Fanatics history, surpassing the previous record held by baseball star Shohei Ohtani. Fanatics confirmed the new sales benchmark but did not release exact figures.
At the same time, ESPN is in final‑stage negotiations with James to produce a behind‑the‑scenes documentary series modeled after Michael Jordan’s The Last Dance. Sources say the talks are at the “1‑yard line.” The series will draw on a large archive of footage, including never‑before‑seen clips from James’s rookie season onward. Executive producer Andy Thompson, who helmed The Last Dance, is attached to the project, while longtime business partner Maverick Carter publicly denied the upcoming series will be a direct replica of Jordan’s documentary. Both the jersey sales surge and the prospective documentary reflect the massive excitement surrounding James’s move to Philadelphia and his pursuit of a fifth NBA championship.
Entities: Andy Thompson · Cleveland Cavaliers · ESPN · Fanatics · LeBron James · Los Angeles Lakers · Maverick Carter · Miami Heat · Michael Jordan · Philadelphia 76ers · The Last Dance
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] James has accumulated roughly $550 million in contracts and endorsements, making him a billionaire. (source)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The series will include new footage and archival material from James' career. (source)
- [● 11 SOURCES] ESPN is in final‑stage talks with LeBron James to produce a documentary series modeled after The Last Dance, with negotiations at the “1‑yard line.” (supported by IDs b822c8b5-d427-4f8a-8c9e-b753923c1da1, 64b6f76a-3076-4c9d-9054-386be07f472e, 621b6562-4d4e-4cf9-bd8e-d1f)
- [● 3 SOURCES] James earns about $8 million per year in NBA salary. (source)
- [● 9 SOURCES] Financial terms of the documentary deal have not been announced. (new)
- [● 11 SOURCES] LeBron James is negotiating a documentary deal with ESPN. (existing)
- [● 9 SOURCES] The documentary will focus on LeBron James' final NBA season with the Philadelphia 76ers. (new)
- [● 11 SOURCES] Talks about the documentary are at the “1‑yard line.” (existing)
- [● 11 SOURCES] LeBron James is pursuing a fifth NBA championship with the Philadelphia 76ers. (existing)
- [● 11 SOURCES] The documentary will include archival and never‑before‑seen footage from James’ career. (existing)
- [● 15 SOURCES] LeBron James signed a two‑year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. (supported by IDs 7a321be6-021e-4ea5-b84a-d4b626c4a22e, 4288bca0-5dab-49b8-8aa6-3050863fafd2, 02da8894-9948-4b2f-9bb7-c99)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Executive producer Andy Thompson is attached to the documentary project. (new)