From the LeBron James-Dwyane Wade-Chris Bosh Miami Heat team to the currently star-studded roster of the Golden State Warriors, the NBA (and other sports leagues) is experiencing an era of the “Super Team.”
Debates rage about whether these super teams are good or bad for the league. Proponents of the Super Team concept say these super teams can generate a lot of interest and show fans some of the best basketball they can ever imagine seeing. Opponents suggest that making the NBA so top heavy is not good for small market teams, and is ruining the competitive balance.
Off the court (and field), a super team of sports legends - from both the NBA and the NFL - is making waves by forming a collective to produce movies together. Athletes Drew Brees, Tony Parker, Michael Finley, and Derrick Brooks have teamed up to form a moviemaking collective called Argent Pictures.
The glue that connects the dots between all of these athletes is a man named Ben Renzo, who structured all of their initial alternative investments into film. Renzo serves as the CEO of Argent Pictures.
Can a sports super team succeed at making movies? Are there skills gained from achieving success in team sports that are transferable and useful for success in the movie industry? Does a team ownership model enhance the chances for success in the movie industry?
If Argent’s track record is any indicator, so far it looks like the key ingredients for success in the sports arena are in fact proving useful in the movie arena. This moviemaking super team has been involved with some of the most acclaimed independent films of the past 18 months, including Paramount’s recently released “American Made” starring Tom Cruise; Nate Parker’s “The Birth of a Nation” from Fox Searchlight; and Mel Gibson’s “Hacksaw Ridge” from Lionsgate.
Time will tell but it will be interesting to see if more superstar athletes manage to successfully transition from sports success to media success. Some athletes, such as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, are currently achieving filmmaking success through companies they solely own. Perhaps other athletes in the future will find greater success in the media industry through the formation of media collectives, similar to the Argent model. This team-based model enables the athlete founders to leverage many of the key elements critical to the accomplishments they previously achieved on the playing field.