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What Is 'HanaKuma' And Why Are KoT Losing Their Heads Over It?
Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka during a past tournament. PHOTO | COURTESY
- HanaKuma, according to Osaka, means “flower bear” in Japanese; and while that sounds cute and all, it has a completely different meaning in the Swahili language that is anything but.
- The four-time Grand Slam champion has partnered with NBA star LeBron James in the new venture.
Japanese tennis superstar Naomi Osaka has announced that she is diversifying her portfolio by launching her own media company, and Kenyans on Twitter (KoT) can’t keep calm.
And No! They’re not losing their heads over the fact that she is moving from the court to Hollywood, they’re going bananas over the name she has chosen for the company – Hana ****.
HanaKuma, according to Osaka, means “flower bear” in Japanese; and while that sounds cute and all, it has a completely different meaning in the Swahili language that is anything but.
The four-time Grand Slam champion, who is worth an estimated $57 million (approx. Ksh.6.7 billion), has partnered with NBA star LeBron James in the new venture.
LeBron’s media outlet, The SpringHill Company, which he co-owns with his longtime business partner Maverick Carter, will act as HanaKuma’s financing, operations and producing partner.
“I honestly can’t say if I’ll personally be in anything right now. What excites me is being able to inspire people and tell new stories, particularly ones that I would have wanted to see when I was a kid. I always wanted to kind of see someone like me,” Osaka told the New York Times in a Zoom interview.
LeBron, on his part, said: “We don’t take for granted the position we are in to lend a helping hand, in this case to Naomi, to help empower her to do even more great things.”