Jalen Brunson Makes Major Career Move Alongside Family That Is Similar to LeBron James’

Back in 2005, a 20-year-old LeBron James sat down with three childhood friends and founded LRMR Marketing. A small management company that eventually grew into the entertainment powerhouse SpringHill Company. Two decades later, Jalen Brunson appears to be following that, except instead of childhood friends, the New York Knicks captain is putting his own family in charge of his off-court empire.

Brunson and his family officially launched Thirty Third Management Group. A family-owned brand advisory firm that will now oversee his off-court business dealings while also representing outside clients across professional sports, business and philanthropy, per NBA insider Chris Haynes.

The new firm keeps the operation entirely in the family. Sandra Brunson, who has quietly managed Jalen's off-court business for the past years, will step into the role of President, while his sister, Erica Brunson, takes over as Director of Client Services. Connor Cashaw rounds out the leadership group as Director of Business Development.

"My family has been with me every step of the way, and everything we do is rooted in trust," Jalen said. "Thirty Third gives us the chance to take ownership of my off-court business, to build something that reflects who we are, and to do it together."

Erica, who has been part of Jalen's inner circle since 2024, shared that sentiment. "This firm was born from a belief that the most powerful brands are built on trust, purpose, and genuine human connection."

She added that a priority from the outset will be women's professional sports, an industry she called historically underserved and one she'll personally lead efforts in. That focus on building something bigger than a single athlete's brand is exactly where the comparison to James' business path starts to take real shape.

How Jalen Brunson’s Business Move Mirrors LeBron James’ Playbook

James' own path began with LRMR Marketing, a company he founded alongside Maverick Carter, Rich Paul and Randy Mims. Friends he'd known since childhood in Akron rather than blood relatives.

That venture eventually evolved into SpringHill Company. A multimedia and production business valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars, alongside other ventures like the Uninterrupted media platform and an ownership stake in Liverpool FC.

James built his empire around a circle of lifelong friends. Brunson has handed the keys to his mother and sister, but both stars chose to keep control of their business interests inside a tight, trusted circle rather than outsourcing everything to a traditional agency.

Thirty Third Management Group has already brought on Meister Seelig & Schuster as legal counsel. Focus Financial Partners come in as financial advisors, giving the family-run operation the same kind of institutional backing that helped James' ventures scale over time.

Whether Thirty Third eventually grows into anything resembling the SpringHill Company remains to be seen. But the early stage - family ownership, a defined mission beyond Brunson's own brand, and real financial and legal infrastructure - mirrors exactly the kind of foundation James built two decades ago.