As Lebron James' business manager, Maverick Carter gets an up-close look at what makes the NBA legend incredibly successful—both on and off the court.
According to Carter, the Cleveland Cavaliers star has an incredible ability to follow his gut.
"He has an almost sixth sense, an alien-like ability to see things before they happen," says Carter.
Carter has known James since he was a kid and has worked with him for more than a decade.
"He's like three or four plays ahead of everyone. The same thing in business."
That gut instinct will come in handy for James as he helps judge a entrepreneurship contest on CNBC called "Cleveland Hustles." The show, for which James is an executive producer, features entrepreneurs competing for investments as they open up shop in an under-served neighborhood in Cleveland.
James runs a production company SpringHill Entertainment and works with various brands such as Nike, Beats by Dre, and Dunkin Donuts.
"What would surprise people about working with LeBron is he's really into the things that he's into," Carter says. "And I think people don't understand that. They just think he's a basketball player, he's super busy. But he actually pays attention."
Carter manages the business negotiations for King James. Most recently he secured a $1 billion deal for James with Nike.
It's not just NBA players who need to listen to their instincts in business.
"[The best entrepreneurs] can feel something when it's right," Carter says.
"When it's real to you, when it really makes sense to you [...] you get that feeling in your gut."