Basketball superstar LeBron James won his third NBA championship this summer, further cementing his legacy as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. His incredible ability to do just about anything on the court is well known but his success goes far beyond the hardwood.

The Cleveland Cavaliers forward has various off-court interests and a never-ending list of companies willing to collaborate with him. The Ohio native has numerous endorsement contracts with huge companies such as McDonalds, Coca Cola, State Farm, and Samsung. He created a bidding war between several shoe companies when leaving high school, eventually choosing Nike, who have benefited from his affiliation greatly since. Back in 2014, James earned a profit of $30 million due to his involvement in Apple’s acquisition of Beats Electronics.

The twelve-time All Star has been involved in the production of an animated web series ‘The LeBrons’ and made several acting performances, including roles in Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck and HBO series, Entourage. A polarizing TV special, ‘The Decision’ was even made to document the player’s free agency decision to move to the Miami Heat back in 2010.

There can be no doubt that from a business point of view, LeBron has his fingers in many pies. One of those proverbial pies is legendary English football club, Liverpool FC. James became an investor in Liverpool in April 2011 after securing a minority share in the club owned by Boston Red Sox owner and billionaire, John W. Henry. Henry’s Fenway Sports Group became the sole marketer of their rights globally and James’ manager Maverick Carter also became a minority shareholder.

Since the deal, James’ appearances in Liverpool have been few and far between. Around seven months after the acquisition was made public, he soaked in the famous atmosphere at Anfield stadium as they faced their fierce rivals, Manchester United. Curiously, despite describing the trip as ‘one of the single best experiences of his life,' he hasn’t returned since.

Whilst news spread quickly at the time of LeBron’s move into the world of Premier League football, it is unclear just how emotionally invested he is in the club, whether he can have a positive influence beyond additional publicity and if it even matters for a club as huge as Liverpool.

LeBron’s public support of LFC

In July this year, James posted a photo on Facebook of his personalized Liverpool shirt, jovially expressing his desire to actually play for the team on their pre-season tour of the U.S.

LeBron Liverpool
Lebron James/Facebook

“s/o to Coach Klopp & the Reds. Excited to hear you boys are heading out to the West Coast!! If you need a walk on, I got your back #YNWA #LFC.”

In reply to James’ show of public support, Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren took to his Instagram page to support the notion of a guest appearance from LeBron and even accepted that he may have to give up his usual #6 shirt to make way for him.

If Lebron wants the number I dont mind, he is the king ????????????????

A photo posted by Dejan Lovren (@dejanlovren06) on

This wasn’t the first time LeBron has made his soccer allegiances known via the form of social media. He has been known to tweet about various significant on-goings at the club on a irregular basis.

James has also found alternative ways to show support for the reds, he has donned official Liverpool merchandise on the podium during post-game press conferences of key NBA games, including a polo shirt and a waterproof training jacket.

LeBron Liverpool
Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Signs of LeBron not ‘getting it’

Despite his customary VIP tour of Anfield and Melwood, as well as his meetings with the squad (including Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard), there have been signs of LeBron not quite understanding the cultural landscape of English football and Liverpool as a club.

In some cases, he has admitted he literally couldn’t understand the club’s personnel, as per the Liverpool Echo’s James Pearce.

“His accent is very strong. So it was very difficult to understand what he was saying – but it was great being around him and (Luis) Suarez and Gerrard and Dirk (Kuyt) and those guys. I was very humbled that they knew me.”

Some football fans in the UK tend to hold preconceptions about American fans and their lack of ‘real’ knowledge of the game, despite the increasing enthusiasm for the game stateside. This is similar to the assumption that those outside of the U.S. just won’t understand basketball to the same extent. Both ill-advised judgements based on foolish pride.

Now, nobody at Liverpool expects one of the most high-profile athletes in the world with a minority stake in the club to turn up to Anfield every week, speaking in provincial scouse dialect and recounting stories of how Robbie Fowler changed his life. That being said, when publicizing his relationship with the club, the athletic powerhouse could show a better understanding of the club’s tradition.

When speaking about his one and only visit to Liverpool, James made the most inappropriate comparison.

“Liverpool are definitely one of those clubs. They really are like Man U – and the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Yankees.”

Despite the truth of the matter, those that are aware of Liverpool’s long rivalry with Manchester United know that to directly compare the team to United is somewhat of a cardinal sin. In terms of domestic success, the two clubs are giants of the game but neither club would admit similarity.

Also in 2012, James’s management presumably gave the green light on another Liverpool based venture. James’ lucrative deal with Nike means that there have been a wide range of signature shoes in his name. Naturally, the ‘LeBron 9 Low Liverpool Edition’ basketball shoe was created.

LeBron Liverpool Shoes
NESN.com

Correctly using the team’s colors (perhaps a bit too much green), Nike’s Liverpool themed shoe confused many with it’s inaccuracies. Liverpool have won 18 league titles, but all of those victories took place before the Premier League (of which the trophy features 18 times on the sole of the shoe) was formed in 1992.

Furthermore, at the back of the shoe features an inaccurate portrayal of the liver bird from the club’s crest, which makes the shoe look like a complete knock-off.

It is understandable that LeBron and his people would make an effort to appear engaged with the club, but these ill-advised decisions don't do anything positive for the perception of U.S. soccer fans or the reputation of the game overseas.

Who has benefitted?

When you’re as unimaginably wealthy as LeBron, the amount that is being made from his share is likely to go unnoticed in the bank account. Being in business with John W. Henry and his Fenway Sports Group is almost certainly the most beneficial aspect of the deal for James.

James is now 31 and it is wise for him to build numerous business relationships to create even more opportunities for him when his playing days are over.

Liverpool has a long history that out-dates the NBA by over a half-century. Their massive fan base and consistently high standard of play has made the club stronger than ever. Whilst LeBron’s public involvement with the club is definitely positive, it won’t be something that makes significant impact on their legacy.

Perhaps the greatest outcome of the deal has been the exposure.

Both LeBron and Liverpool are household names, especially in their home nations. If the star shows his support of the club publicly, it will introduce a handful of new fans that aren’t well-versed in either basketball or football to a sporting juggernaut and that can’t be a bad thing.