Naomi Osaka is already a worldwide star due to her tennis career. However, she is spreading her influence even further by launching a media company with assistance from one of the greatest basketball players ever.
The four-time Grand Slam champion's last appearance on the court was at the French Open a month ago. She suffered a disappointing first-round loss, compounding a difficult season so far.
Unfortunately, Osaka is currently dealing with an injury after hurting her achilles. Over a week ago, the 24-year-old shared a video of her training on an underwater treadmill due to the problem.
Sadly, the injury is more serious than the Japanese star initially hoped. That led to Osaka withdrawing from this year's Wimbledon Championships. Although she does not have the best record on grass, losing a player of Osaka's caliber is a blow to the tournament.
That setback gives Osaka more time to pursue other ventures. This will include working at her new media company, which she founded with assistance from basketball legend LeBron James.
Her new production company, Hana Kuma, is run by Osaka and her longstanding business partner and agent, Stuart Duguid. It has been established with LeBron James and Maverick Carter's SpringHill Company.
Osaka outlined how streaming has given many people of color a platform. She hopes her company can also give a voice to people who previously may not have been heard.
“There has been an explosion of creators of color finally being equipped with resources and a huge platform. In the streaming age, content has a more global perspective. You can see this in the popularity of television from Asia, Europe and Latin America that the unique can also be universal."
The four-time Grand Slam champion also hopes to inspire people by sharing unique perspectives and making them more universal than they otherwise would be.
"My story is a testament to that as well. I’m so excited for what we are building at Hana Kuma. We will bring stories to life with this goal in mind: to make unique perspectives feel universal and inspire people along the way.”
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