Naomi Osaka is more than just a tennis player. Her career has inspired many girls to pick up the racquet and make it as big as her in the world of tennis. While tennis is always her priority, she has decided to set foot in the field of entertainment and entrepreneurship.
The four-time grand slam winner has decided to partner with basketball legend LeBron James and start a media production company called Hana Kuma. The words ‘Hana Kuma’ mean flower bear and Naomi aims to produce stories that highlight different cultures and issues.
There’s reason we call ourselves an Empowerment Company. This incredible woman and the stories she is going to bring to life is EXACTLY what we about!!!Incredibly proud to call her my partner. @naomiosaka @makespringhill #MoreThananAthlete https://t.co/mellHFKP9Q
— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 21, 2022
The Japanese tennis star understands the value of stories in this world. In fact, she highlighted how her story is so unique and different from other tennis professionals. LeBron James already has an entertainment, marketing, and products company called The SpringHill Company. It will come on onboard as the financing, operations, and producing partner.
As per the 24-year-old tennis star, Hana Kuma will back stories that “are global, about a variety of cultures and points of view, about important social issues.” Having the backing of a legend like James will help Naomi in expanding the business to new heights.
Naomi Osaka is excited to inspire people with stories through Hana Kuma
Naomi still doesn’t know how involved she will be while picking the projects. She said, “I honestly can’t say if I’ll personally be in anything right now.” However, she is excited at the thought of presenting stories to people all over the world.
Naomi Osaka is launching her own media company — Hana Kuma — in partnership with LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s The SpringHill Company.
“We’ll bring stories to life with this goal: to make unique perspectives feel universal and inspire people along the way” – @naomiosaka pic.twitter.com/hW0rOJ2cav
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 21, 2022
For her, stories are not just a medium of entertainment but also a source of inspiration. She truly believes that many stories have the power to inspire and change people. Furthermore, she said, “What excites me is being able to inspire people and tell new stories, particularly ones that I would have wanted to see when I was a kid.”
Naomi has always been vocal about her personal battles. She has talked about her mental health issues multiple times. Through Hana Kuma, she will try to raise awareness on many more issues including mental health. Moreover, her aim is to cater to people who are looking for stories that are different yet universally appealing.
