If the King was a Buckeye

From the perspective of “The Lantern”…

Disclaimer: This article is a work of fiction and should not be interpreted as factual or representative of real events. The hypothetical scenario discussed in this article, involving LeBron James and his sons enrolling at Ohio State University to play football and basketball respectively, is purely speculative and has no basis in reality. It is meant for entertainment and creative purposes only.

It was as if the earth stood still on Monday as the news broke around campus that the rumors were true. NBA superstar LeBron James, and his two sons, Bronny and Bryce James, are coming to attend Ohio State University. With James himself planning on playing with the college’s football team, and his sons heading for the basketball court. The announcement is part of a larger marketing deal between the college and James.

The air around campus was electric, and barely another topic has been discussed between students and staff since the news broke.

“I couldn’t believe it when I heard the news,” one student answered. “It felt as if someone knocked the breath out of me.”

The students have been quick to the rumor mill and have been hard at work spreading word of a parade, or a day off of class to celebrate, all of which are unconfirmed.

But what is known is that these rumors come from a place of excitement and are a great signifier of how much energy the announcement has filled the campus.

The revelation of James’s upcoming attendance at the school was only the tip of the iceberg as two more announcements quickly followed. James would not just be attending Ohio State University, but as mentioned before he would also be officially joining the college’s football team, the Buckeyes. On top of that, James and the school would be teaming up to create a new streaming service, James+, which is expected to generate significant revenue.

James+ will host a score of exclusive content such as interviews with LeBron about his relationship with Ohio State, live gameplay, and behind-the-scenes content. Fans are certain to be delighted by the myriad of content that the streaming service will provide them with.

Details and projections on the James+ Streaming Service are as follows:

The streaming service is projected to have an estimated revenue of about $600 million per year, growing to $1 billion by year 5.
It is expected that about 25 million LeBron fans will subscribe to the streaming platform, growing at a margin of 3% per year.
The estimated development cost and operating expenses for the streaming platform are an average of $4.8 million, with an operating profit of $880 million per year.
The streaming app venture will provide an additional income of $3 billion to LeBron and $1.3 billion to OSU over a 5-year period, at a profit-sharing ratio of 70:30.
The streaming platform’s subscription rate is set at $2.99, significantly lower compared to other platforms, contributing to an average revenue of $800 million for James+.

Despite being best known for his basketball career, James is no stranger to football, having played in high school. He was so successful in his high school football career that he was at one time considered the number one high school football prospect in the state of Ohio.

James’s eldest son, Bronny, has also announced that he will be transferring to the school at the start of the next school year and is planning to play on the college’s basketball team. His brother Bryce will also be attending Ohio State once he graduates from high school, and will be playing for the school’s basketball team as well when the time comes.

Savannah James, LeBron’s wife, and the couple’s young daughter, Zuri James, will be accompanying the rest of their family to Ohio State when the enrollment becomes official. Blaze Pizza, a chain partially owned by James, has a location in Columbus Ohio, and it is expected that the family will make an appearance at the restaurant once the big day arrives.

Ohio State followed up this announcement with a warning to those who would use James’s upcoming enrollment as a way to harass him or his family members. The college’s spokesperson made it very clear that Ohio State would do everything in its power to ensure a safe and prosperous environment for all of its students, the incoming celebrities included.

James’s choice surprised many, but to those who know of his history with the school, it isn’t nearly as shocking. An Ohio native, James was drafted into the NBA right out of high school and never attended college. Despite this, James has been very open about the fact that his school of choice would have been Ohio State.

His support of the school has been both unwavering and legendary. Just last October, he gifted the Buckeyes with custom cleats before their game against Penn State and gifted the team personalized wireless Beats headphones.

Thanks to the name, image, and likeness laws, fans can also look forward to the eventual release of James’s Buckeyes jersey for purchase. The demand for these new jerseys is expected to be quite high, and the projected sales numbers are estimated to be around 12 million dollars in the first year.

With a whole new chapter of James’s career opening up at Ohio State, fans are likely to surge to the stores to pick up a LeBron jersey. The sales are also expected to spike for a second time after the official enrollment of LeBron James into the school.

The anticipated net profit on LeBron’s jersey merchandise sales is poised to soar to approximately 59%, far surpassing the industry’s average range of 25-45%. This remarkable margin can be attributed to the exceptional value associated with LeBron’s iconic name, amplified by the enduring legacy of Ohio State University.

Despite all of the change that is in the air, one thing is definitely for certain, it is a good time to be a Buckeye.