This is the last thing that Cavs star LeBron James needs right now.
According to TMZ, James and his business partner Maverick Carter, are being sued by a company called Adventure Enterprises for stealing their TV show concept called "Shop Talk."
The company claims in a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, it pitched "Shop Talk" to UNINTERRUPTED, the site launched by James and Carter, with the barbershop as the backdrop where celebs share their business success stories while getting a haircut. The lawsuit claims after working on the concept for two years, James cut the company out and created a ripoff called "The Shop," featuring LeBron and his contemporaries in a barbershop.
Adventure Enterprises said they received assurances from James that the webisode was a one-time only thing. Then it happened again.
This new lawsuit comes at virtually the same time that James has been having a public spat with Alabama football coach Nick Saban over a trailer for “Shop Talk,” a program featuring Saban and former Crimson Tide-turned Atlanta Falcons star wide receiver Julio Jones.
Earlier this month, UNINTERRUPTED sent a letter to Alabama expressing “concerns over copyright infringement, including trademark issues and the use of intellectual property."
“I respect him as a coach, but I’ll be damned if I allow someone to use our platform or try to do the same thing we’re doing and just think it’s okay. The lawyers will figure it out," LeBron said at the time.
A source close to LeBron and Maverick tells TMZ calls the Adventure Enterprises lawsuit "totally frivolous and publicity seeking."
