LeBron James and ESPN are nearing an agreement for a behind-the-scenes documentary series modeled after Michael Jordan's "The Last Dance," according to industry sources. One source described negotiations as being at the "one-yard line," with expectations that a camera crew will follow James throughout his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, the team he signed with this month and one expected to serve as the final stop of his career.

The documentary is expected to incorporate archival footage from James' career, including previously unreleased material captured by NBA film crews dating back to his rookie season. Financial terms and additional details of the agreement remain unknown. For comparison, Puck reported that Netflix's eight-episode Jerry Jones and Dallas Cowboys documentary was valued at slightly under $50 million.

No timeline has been set for when the James documentary would be completed or air. ESPN and a representative for James both declined to comment.

James recently signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the 76ers as he pursues a fifth NBA championship. Jordan's 10-part documentary became a cultural phenomenon after airing in spring 2020 during the pandemic-related sports shutdown, broadcast weekly on ESPN before landing on both ESPN and Netflix.

James and Jordan are widely regarded as the two greatest players in NBA history, though Jordan's career unfolded largely before the internet era, affording him relatively more privacy than James has experienced throughout his career. James appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a 17-year-old high school junior in February 2002, and his rise coincided with the growth of the internet, smartphones and social media, placing him under far greater public scrutiny throughout his career.

Combining archival footage with real-time coverage of his tenure in Philadelphia, the documentary is expected to offer an extensive behind-the-scenes look at James' career. While producers may attempt to differentiate the project from Jordan's format, comparisons between the two are likely to persist throughout.