Rio tackles basketball ace

Following his interviews with rapper 50-Cent and tennis legend Roger Federer, Rio Ferdinand met LeBron James - arguably the greatest basketball player in the world - for the latest cover story in his #5 magazine.

Here Rio talks about the experience and reveals what else is in his new online mag…

How did meeting LeBron compare with 50-Cent and Federer?
They’re all hugely successful in what they do, so it was a similar feeling. But I’m a huge basketball fan, and to meet the heir to Michael Jordan’s crown was pretty cool.

How has #5 been received?
Very, very well. There was a mixed reaction when it was announced, but since people have actually seen the magazine we’ve had a good response from readers and the media.

How much of your time does it take?
I liaise with the editorial team by text and email, so a lot can be done on the move, which is necessary as football will always be number one. And then I probably meet the production boys and do interviews and filming over a few half-days per issue.

What else is in issue 3?
It's packed! It's our Music issue so we’ve got interviews with M.I.A. and Tom from Kasabian - that's hilarious - plus an Oasis video and a tribute to Kurt Cobain. There's also a music-based fashion feature and a rock-chick fashion shoot.

Issue 3 of #5 magazine is available now at rioferdinand.com.