From Michael Jordan’s ‘Jump 23′ to Kevin Durant’s ‘Thirty-Five’, the basketball stars have long leveraged their celebrity status to conquer Hollywood. But the recent TNT contract dispute with the NBA that nearly derailed the popular and favorite TV show, ‘Inside the NBA’ has added an interesting subplot to Charles Barkley’s ambitions. Some may think that the former power forward might have ventured into the business of sports academy since he’s always doing so much for the community, but no. The 61-year-old has announced his own production company.

Barkley’s run in this new field might not be easy since there are few established production companies, most notably the $1.2 million worth, Los Angeles Lakers player, LeBron James’, own entertainment firm that will give fierce competition to Chuck. Moreover, in light of this announcement, it’s time to look at the services that both firms offer.

Charles Barkley’s new production company is not on the same road as that of LeBron James’

The fans of the ‘Inside the NBA’, would have never guessed that such a sudden announcement would come from one of its hosts, because of the solidarity that the crew showcased over social media regarding the NBAxTNT matter. But here we are. On Monday, Barkley announced that he is partnering with ‘EverWonder Studio’ (which is an independent content studio led by Ian Orefice and backed by Jeff Zucker’s RedBird IMI) to launch his own production house. “Round Mound Media is about creating an outlet for my vision to share compelling, original stories meant to captivate audiences across the world,” said Barkley during an interview.

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The content team in this production house will be fully focused on releasing original documentaries, live telecasts, and scripted content. Moreover, the team already has 10 projects in development which they will cumulate into a single documentary that will show Barkley’s life. Much to the relief of the fans, Sir Charles has also reassured them that he will continue to work for TNT. But the question still remains: How is it different from the billionaire basketballer’s venture?

The key difference that The King of the Court‘s media house possesses is that it is fully aimed at making movies and TV shows. The ‘SpringHill Mediahouse’ or the ‘SpringHill company’ has contributed to Hollywood by releasing some of the best TV series and movies like ‘Top Boy’, ‘Hustle’ and a continuation of Michael Jordan’s famous collaborative film with the animated show Looney Tunes, ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy.’

However, with the same area of fight, there are bound to be similarities. And there is one. Both Barkley’s and LeBron’ James’ media houses are into podcasts. ‘SpringHill Entertainment’ runs the ‘UNINTERRUPTED Podcast’, whereas Barkley’s media house is yet to come up with a name.

As these basketball legends continue to compete in the entertainment arena, their contrasting approaches show the different opportunities available in the sports media. However, these are not the only players to own a media house.

Other NBA players ‘reeling’ in production houses

While Charles Barkley and LeBron James have put their foot in the entertainment industry, they are not the only NBA players with their own production companies. As mentioned earlier, several other former and current NBA players have also ventured into the media world.

Starting with the NBA veterans, we have Dwyane Wade’s ’59th & Prairie Entertainment’ and Carmelo Anthony’s ‘Creative 7‘. Wade’s production company is mainly based on making movies on sports and also on topics that aim to share the experience of the growth of the Miami Heat veteran. Some of the popular works from this company include, ‘The Redeem Team’ and ‘The Cube‘. On the other hand, Melo’s Creative 7 production aims to share stories of individuals who have showcased their athletic prowess. One of the famous ongoing projects from this media house is the ‘7 pm in Brooklyn podcast’.

Now if we come to the recent stars, we have the French NBA player Giannis Antetokounmpo’s media house, ‘Improbable Media‘ and Golden State Warriors’ point guard, Stephen Curry’s entertainment firm ‘Unanimous Media’. Both these houses have released great documentaries that have impacted the NBA world. As the popularity of sports media continues to grow, it is likely that more NBA players will follow in the footsteps of these NBA standouts.