LeBron James to produce HBO documentary detailing impact of amateur athletics, NCAA rules

The documentary, entitled "Student Athlete," will tell the story of the impact amateur athletics has on student-athletes

Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James will serve as the executive producer of an upcoming documentary entitled "Student Athlete," which will aim to demystify the complex nature of amateur athletics in America. The documentary, which was announced on Monday, will debut Tuesday, Oct. 2 on HBO at 10:00 p.m. ET.

"This is an incredibly important story about the institutional denial of basic human rights for these student athletes," said Maverick Carter, CEO of SpringHill Entertainment. "When Steve Stoute brought us this idea, it was a perfect fit for the kind of stories we want to tell at SpringHill. We're excited to work with one of the best human rights storytellers in Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy to help people see and feel how this issue impacts the lives of those living it."

Carter and Stoute will serve as producers in the documentary; the aforementioned Obaid-Chinoy will serve as director alongside Trish Dalton.

The content of the film will be documentation of the "exploitative world of high-revenue college sports" through the stories of four young men, all of which are at different stages of their respective athletic careers. A coach-turned-advocate and a whistle-blowing shoe rep who exposes the money trail involved with athletics will also be involved in telling the story. It will chronicle athletes' time spanning from high school recruiting to post-graduation and the impact amateur athletics has on student-athletes and those connected. 

More details on who will be included in the documentary, per the press release: 

The documentary spotlights: former NCAA and NFL coach John Shoop; New Jersey high school basketball phenom Nick Richards, now at the University of Kentucky; Mike Shaw, who played at the University of Illinois and Bradley University; Shamar Graves, a former wide receiver at Rutgers University; and Silas Nacita, a walk-on who played at Baylor University.  

"The NCAA blinded by revenue goals is turning student athletes into full-time employees," Stoute, Founder & CEO of United Masters, said.  "This documentary is incredibly important as it debunks the myth that student athletes are being fairly compensated by receiving scholarships and a valuable education. In fact, the demands put on these students by this oppressive system makes it impossible for them to get the education they deserve. The time is now to end this false narrative and reveal the truth of this exploitation."

LeBron James and Maverick Carter founded SpringHill Entertainment, an Akron, Ohio-based company, in 2013.