Winning his third NBA championship in five years was a pretty good accomplishment for LeBron James, but it's not enough to satisfy his hunger for success, so he's taking his talents to… reality television?
Along with business partner Maverick Carter, LeBron is set to serve as executive producer for Cleveland Hustles, premiering August 24 on CNBC. Much like ABC's smash hit Shark Tank, the show will feature entrepreneurs showcasing their products and services in front of a team of investors, who will then decide whether to do business together.
As the name suggests, all of the people on the show – from the host to the investors to the business owners – are all based in the Cleveland area.
Bonin Bough, Chief Media & eCommerce Officer for Mondelez, will serve as the show's host. He'll be joined each episode by four investors: Kumar Arora, CEO of Aroridex, Ltd., financial adviser Kathy Futey, Alan Glazen, founder of GlazenUrban, LLC and Jonathon Sawyer, who owns Team Sawyer Restaurants.
Lebron James / Andy Lyons/Getty Images
James and Carter handpicked the judges, who can invest at their own discretion. No word yet on whether James plans to make an appearance on the show or make an investment himself – something he certainly hasn't shied away from in the past.
Bough says the show promises to be a "new frontline for innovators," and Carter is expecting a positive impact on the Cleveland community. He's predicting it'll be a "transformational series that can lift up all of Northeast Ohio and one that will resonate with people across the country."
The businesses to be featured on the show are mostly in the food industry, including soda, pickles and bagels. A full list is below:
Old City Soda – Sean Adkins & Mike Gulley
Randy's Pickles – Andrew Rainey
Styles of Success – Chareen Fountain
The Cleveland Bagel Co. – Geoff Hardman & Dan Herbst
The Proper Pig – Ted Dupaski & Shane Vidovic
Groundswell – Anne Harnett
FOUNT – Jaclyn & Phillip Wachter
Akron Honey Co. – Brent Wesley
