LeBron James is a billionaire today, and while he deserves most of the credit for all his success, a certain Maverick Carter has definitely played his part along the way. Carter is James’ longtime friend, manager, and business partner, and he recently appeared on the Boardroom Talks podcast.
Carter was asked there if he has a north star and shared what he has always been seeking.
“The one thing I always cared about the most is just like, to your point, peers, people I admire, people I love that I saw do amazing things would one day look at me and go, ‘Yeah, great job,'” Carter said. “With regard. And most of those people, you know, whether it’s Jimmy Iovine or Jay-Z, who was the blueprint for us… I always wanted LeBron to look at me and go, ‘Thank you.’
“Nothing else,” Carter added. “Just like, ‘Thank you for being honest with me. Thank you for having my back. Thank you for telling me the s*** that I didn’t want to hear. Thank you for helping me.’ He’s built this bit. He’s the one that’s built it. I’ve been there just as a co-pilot. Those are the things I always wanted.”
Everyone needs someone like this in their lives, especially those who are rich and famous. People tend to tell them things they want to hear in order to stay in their circle and benefit from it. It’s key to find those who will tell you the hard truth, even if it stings. Carter has been doing just that, and James, to his credit, understood the value of that. He has certainly benefited from that over time.
James and Carter first crossed paths at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. The latter was a senior when the former arrived as a freshman, and they played basketball together for one season.
Carter wasn’t headed to the pros, though, and would end up at Nike. He then became James’ business associate in 2004 and, a year later, his business manager.
James and Carter would establish LRMR Ventures in 2006 along with Rich Paul and Randy Mims. We have all heard of SpringHill Company and Uninterrupted, and they’re under that umbrella. Carter serves as the Chief Executive Officer for both. He has become a powerful figure in his own right.
Carter recently made headlines as he reacted to a report about James closing in on an agreement with ESPN for a documentary series similar to The Last Dance. He made it clear it wasn’t true.
“We are NOT doing anything like the ‘Last Dance.’ LeBron doesn’t even know when his last season is,” Carter wrote.
James just signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers with a player option for the second year. You’d expect the 41-year-old to carry on two more years, but he might stick around for even longer.
