David Beckham Lovers

James, who has led the Miami Heat to the past two NBA titles, told the Miami Herald on Monday that he has spoken with Beckham. James owns a small share of English Premier League side Liverpool.

"There is some interest on both sides," James said.

"David has become a good friend of mine over the last few years and I think it would be great for this city to have a football club. There is interest on both sides, but it's preliminary talks but there is some open dialogue."

Beckham's chance to grab a MLS team for a discounted rate was reportedly part of the contract that lured the former Manchester United midfielder to Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007 from Real Madrid.

But time to make a deal is said to be running out, possibly by the end of the year.

The MLS had a Miami team, the Fusion from 1998-2001, before it folded and James said the level of support from the Miami market is still being explored.

"We don't know (the potential). The research is still being made out but I think it could be huge. You never know. I think this is a great town for soccer. There are a lot of soccer players here."

Beckham has become a familiar face at Heat games and James has enjoyed a growing interest in football.

"I have grown a great interest in watching the game and learning it and it is a pretty intense sport," James said. "And my kids love it as well. But I have grown to the point where I know exactly what's going on when I'm watching the game."

James has spent time touring Liverpool facilities and meeting players.

NFL Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has reportedly shown interest in partnering Beckham as well.

A Brazil 5-0 friendly win over Honduras last Saturday was attended by 71,000 fans - the largest for a football match in Florida.

But James says Miami obtaining a MLS club is far from a done deal despite the superstar leverage behind the project.

"We don't know. It's like buying a house. You don't know until you sign the papers."

Could LeBron James be teaming up with David Beckham on an MLS team in Miami?

Although the two have previously discussed soccer in Miami, the Miami Heat superstar revealed on Monday that a stake in an MLS team for James has also been broached.

"There's some interest on both sides," James told media in Miami. "David has become a good friend of mine over the last few years. I think it would be great for this city to have a football club for sure. There's interest on both sides but it's preliminary talks.

"The research is still being made out," he continued. "I think it could be huge. You never know. I think this is a great town for soccer. There's a lot of soccer players, there's great youth soccer players here and people love the city as well. That definitely would help."

When contacted by MLSsoccer.com, the MLS league office declined to comment on a potential partnership between the two sports icons.

Beckham, who has a contractual option to purchase an MLS expansion team at a discounted rate, was back in Miami in recent days touring potential stadium sites and meeting with local officials and potential partners.

This most recent visit led to MLS in Miami becoming a topic of conversation once again. And James, who is a minority owner of English club Liverpool FC, has come to learn the game over recent years.

"I've grown a great interest in watching the game and learning the guys," James said. " It's a pretty intense sport. My kids love it as well. I've grown to the point where I know exactly what's going on when I'm watching the game."

Last updated at 22:19 GMT

Basketball superstar LeBron James says he is in talks with David Beckham about investing in the former England captain's planned Miami MLS franchise.

James, 28, won back-to-back NBA titles with Miami Heat and believes a football team would be popular in the city.

Source: Forbes Rich List

"David has become a good friend of mine. There's interest on both sides" he told South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

The chance to become a team owner at a discounted price was part of Beckham's contract at LA Galaxy.

The 38-year-old took up the option after ending his playing career at French side Paris St-Germain last season.

James already has a minority stake in Premier League Liverpool as part of a partnership with the club's owners Fenway Sports Group.

"I think this is a great town for soccer," James said of Beckham's preferred base for his team.

"There's a lot of soccer players, there's great youth soccer players here and people love the city as well. That definitely would help."

James added that he had learned more about football since becoming associated with Liverpool.

"I've grown to the point where I know exactly what's going on when I'm watching the game," he said.

By Ethan Skolnick on November 18, 2013

LeBron James, coming off 39 and 30 point performances over the weekend, continues taking an interest in a sport in which scoring is quite a bit more scarce.

Monday, James, who invested in Liverpool FC in April 2011 as part of the Fenway Sports Group, confirmed that he has spoken with retired English star David Beckham the latter's attempt to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to Miami.

The Fusion, the last MLS team to call South Florida home, played in Fort Lauderdale and folded in 2001.

"There's some interest on both sides," James said. "David has become a good friend of mine over the last few years. I think it would be great for this city to have a football club for sure. There's interest on both sides but it's preliminary talks."

As part of his contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy, Beckham received the option to buy a franchise for $25 million, and he has targeted Miami. Miami, however, already has four major professional teams, and three of them -- the Florida Panthers, Florida Marlins and Miami Dolphins -- aren't drawing especially well. The Miami Heat are the exception, largely due to James' presence.

Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images

And, at best, James would be in an owner's box for a soccer franchise. Small-stake ownership hasn't proven a boon for the Dolphins, who brought Serena Williams, Jennifer Lopez and others aboard.

Still, James sounded sold on the potential of the project.

"I think it could be huge," James said. "You never know. I think this is a great town for soccer. There's a lot of soccer players, there's great youth soccer players here and people love the city as well. That definitely would help."

Last season, when I asked James to name his five favorite athletes in other sports, Messi of FC Barcelona was on his list.

"I've grown a great interest in watching the game and learning the guys," James said. "It's a pretty intense sport. My kids love it as well. I've grown to the point where I know exactly what's going on when I'm watching the game."

This interest in a major Miami project might curtail some of the growing speculation that James will explore free agency this summer, when he can opt out of his Heat contract. At the very least, this endeavor -- among others -- does suggest that he's acclimating to South Florida.

James, according to sources close to him, has explored commercial real estate opportunities over the past year, and his wife Savannah recently opened The Juice Spot in the trendy Brickell area of Miami.

Maybe they'll open a soccer shop next door.

David Beckham, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and dad-of-four, urges Mirror readers to help the survivors of the Philippines super-storm

Mercy flight: A young victim ready to board a jet yesterday

Last Friday, when most of us were looking forward to our weekends, several islands far away in the Philippines were struck by a devastating storm.

It wasn't until the next day that the true enormity of the so-called Super Typhoon Haiyan was understood.

This was the most powerful typhoon ever to hit land anywhere in the world.

Homes, schools and hospitals have been destroyed, roads are unable to be used and children still urgently need food, water, shelter and power.

In areas of the worst affected island, it's reported to look like the aftermath of the terrible tsunami that struck on Boxing Day almost a decade ago.

The news trickling through was, and still is, absolutely horrifying.

Thousands dead, homes flattened, with children lost and separated from their parents, surviving without food or water. In any emergency, children are the most vulnerable and with each passing day, the danger these children face is heightened.

So now, I am writing this to you, fellow readers of the Daily Mirror, as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and as a dad to four children.

An estimated five million children are now affected.

Those figures are so huge that it's hard to really get how many ­children that is. In footballing terms, it's enough children to fill 64 packed Wembley stadiums.

Any parent seeing the news will be thinking of their own children, I'm certainly thinking of mine.

It's terrifying to imagine them alone after the storm, injured, lost and confused, just trying to survive each day on their own. But there is hope. And everyone really can make a difference. A real, life-saving difference.

Responding to an emergency of this level is complicated, unimaginably so.

It feels impossible, but organisations like UNICEF do make it possible to ease the suffering. UNICEF is working around the clock to deliver life-saving aid to these children.

Several plane-loads of supplies landed in some of the most badly affected areas last week, delivering supplies such as emergency food for malnourished ­children, health kits, water pumps and generators, which are being used to get the water supplies up and running again.

Providing clean water is one of the most important steps in preventing an outbreak of disease. Hygiene kits, that contain things like soap and water buckets, have now reached children and their families in Tacloban.

Survivors of Typhoon Haiyan rush to grab fresh water delivered by a U.S. military helicopter to their isolated village north of Tacloban

UNICEF will continue to deliver supplies to children affected, providing life-saving emergency food for ­malnourished children and setting up safe spaces for children to play, while their families are traced.

Weeks and months later, when the news coverage has moved on to another story, UNICEF will still be there, helping children to survive and recover, reuniting children separated from their families during the typhoon, protecting them from the threat of abuse or trafficking and helping them to overcome the trauma of what they've seen and experienced.

I was with UNICEF in the Philippines two years ago so I know with utter certainty that the team will be doing everything in their power to help.

UNICEF has been working in the Philippines since 1947 so their ­experience and local knowledge is huge.

As a father I know there is nothing I wouldn't do for my children and I am sure you feel the same - but for those ­families in the Philippines facing an uncertain future, they need you to do something.

Survivors of Typhoon Haiyan display a message asking for help as a U.S. military helicopter lands in their isolated village north of Tacloban

£10 could provide a water kit for a family, so that they can collect, store and make water safe to drink which could make a life or death ­difference. UNICEF receives no funding from the Disaster Emergency Committee, but its crucial work for children relies solely on the generosity of individuals such as you.

To give £5, please text UNICEF to 70800, or telephone 0800 044 5888, or visit www.unicef.org.uk/mirror

Children in the Philippines need your help now. I promise your donation will make a huge difference.

Thank you.

The United Nations Children's Fund is the world's leading organisation for children.

View gallery

BECKHAM, UNICEF Ambassador and dad-of-four, urges Record readers to help the children and families - left without food, water, shelter and power - after super-storm Typhoon Haiyan.

Young burns victim ready to board flight

LAST Friday, when most of us were looking forward to our weekend, several islands far away in the Philippines were struck by a devastating storm.

It wasn't until the next day that the true enormity of the so-called Super- Typhoon Haiyan was understood.

This was the most powerful typhoon ever to hit land anywhere in the world.

Homes, schools and hospitals have been destroyed, roads are unable to be used and children still urgently need food, water, shelter and power.

In areas of the worst affected island, it's reported to look like the aftermath of the terrible tsunami that struck on Boxing Day almost a decade ago.

The news trickling through was, and still is, absolutely horrifying.

Thousands dead, homes flattened, with children lost and separated from their parents, surviving without food or water. In any emergency, children are the most vulnerable and with each passing day, the danger these children face is heightened.

So now, I am writing this to you, readers of the Daily Record, as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and as a dad to four children.

An estimated five million children are now affected.

Those figures are so huge that it's hard to really get how many children that is. In footballing terms, it's enough children to fill 64 Wembley stadiums.

Any parent seeing the news will be thinking of their own children, I'm certainly thinking of mine.

It's terrifying to imagine them alone after the storm, injured, lost and confused, just trying to survive each day on their own. But there is hope. And everyone really can make a difference. A real, life-saving difference.

Responding to an emergency of this level is complicated, unimaginably so. It feels impossible but organisations like UNICEF do make it possible to ease the suffering. UNICEF is working around the clock to deliver life-saving aid to these children.

Several plane-loads of supplies landed in some of the most badly affected areas last week, delivering supplies such as emergency food for malnourished children, health kits, water pumps and generators, which are being used to get the water supplies up and running again.

Providing clean water is one of the most important steps in preventing an outbreak of disease. Hygiene kits, that contain things like soap and water buckets, have now reached children and their families in Tacloban.

UNICEF will continue to deliver supplies to children affected, providing life-saving emergency food for malnourished children and setting up safe spaces for children to play, while their families are traced.

Victims queue for food and water

Weeks and months later, when the news coverage has moved on to another story, UNICEF will still be there, helping children to survive and recover, reuniting children separated from their families during the typhoon, protecting them from the threat of abuse or trafficking and helping them to overcome the trauma of what they've seen and experienced.

I was with UNICEF in the Philippines two years ago so I know with utter certainty the team will be doing everything in their power to help.

UNICEF has been working in the Philippines since 1947 so their experience and local knowledge is huge.

As a father I know there is nothing I wouldn't do for my children and I am sure you feel the same - but for those families in the Philippines facing an uncertain future, they need you to do something. Just £10 could provide a water kit for a family, so they can collect, store and make water safe to drink which could make a life-or-death difference. UNICEF receives no funding from the Disasters Emergency Committee but its crucial work for children relies solely on the generosity of individuals like you.

To give £5, please text UNICEF to 70800, or telephone 0800 044 5888, or visit www.unicef.org.uk/

Children in the Philippines need your help now. I promise your donation will make a huge difference.

Thank you, David Beckham, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador

* The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is the world's leading organisation for children.