LeBron James is shooting his shot in the grooming world.

The NBA All-Star, 39, is making his debut with the launch of The Shop, a seven-set collection of hair and skincare products inspired by his award-winning TV talk show of the same name.

The Shop was created in partnership with James’ longtime friend and business partner Maverick Carter, who spoke with PEOPLE exclusively at the launch event in New York City about the their new venture and how their brand “naturally” came to be.

“There was no aha moment, there was more of a feeling,” Carter says of creating the barbershop-inspired brand. He credits the “ethos” of The Shop for being what the line strives to accomplish: “bringing communities together” and “empowering them through conversations.”

The James-led series, co-created by Paul Rivera and Randy Mims, premiered on HBO in August 2018 and is now in its seventh season. Filmed in a barbershop setting, James and Carter invite guests — like Tom Brady, Drake, Quinta Brunson and David Beckham — to converse, debate and inspire through roundtable conversations.

“Through filming The Shop and through some of those conversations, we started realizing there may be an opportunity,” Rivera tells PEOPLE while sitting alongside Carter. “And to Maverick’s point, it just felt very authentically connected to the brand, The Shop experience.”

Although James wasn’t at the N.Y.C. launch event himself (due the Laker’s victorious away game against the Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday night) Rivera assured he was involved “every step of the way” by providing input and feedback since their very first meeting about the venture.

“He was very clear on what he’d like to see in a product,” continues Rivera. “There wasn’t anything that he wasn’t a part of.”

The Los Angeles Lakers star’s involvement was no shock to his childhood friend Carter, who doubles as the CEO of James’ multimedia SpringHill Company co-founded by the pair 2020. “Nothing surprises me, but what continues to astonish me is his commitment and dedication,” Carter says of the athlete.

“He’s the most committed and dedicated person that I’ve ever seen, and that’s why he’s such a high achiever,” Carter continues. “I think there’ll be much more for fans to learn about him as his [NBA] career winds down and he goes into the next chapters of his life and career.”

The high-performance products are designed for all men — addressing various needs for their skin, hair and beard. It’s made with multi-beneficial, nourishing vegan and cruelty-free formulas that are soft on the skin, and simple and effective to use.

The grooming collection includes seven products: Exfoliating Face Wash, Hydrating Face Lotion, Soothing Shave Cream, Aftershave Toner, Conditioning Beard Cream, 2-in-1 Moisturizing Hair Wash and Hair Styling Pomade.

Coinciding with The Shop Men’s Grooming Line is the launch of “Be The Face,” a creative campaign (below) featuring James, Carter and Rivera aimed to empower men with the barbershop-inspired tools to be the most confident and intentional versions of themselves.

“I can remember like it was yesterday, going into the first barbershop I’ve ever been to,” James says in an exclusive video clip shared with PEOPLE. “Going into the shop, there’s a certain aura,” he continues. “That’s what heaven is all about. You just feel… untouchable.”

“We want to deliver that feeling through the products,” Carter tells PEOPLE at the launch event, adding that the goal is to “feel comfortable and confident” each day and “to be the face of whatever you choose to be.”

As for The Shop product James favors the most? “He loves them all,” Carter says on his behalf. “His grooming routine has been honed over many years of being in lots of locker rooms.”

Carter points out that The Shop Face Lotion Daily Hydrator is “very important to [LeBron],” especially when trying to “stay moist after sweating for hours and hours on a basketball court.”

Rivera jumps in: “He has a fantastic beard.” If he had to guess James’ favorite, he’d go with The Shop Beard Cream Leave In Conditioner. “He had a point of view on it as well as all the other products,” he notes.

“Men, we don’t want too much,” James says of grooming routines in the “Be the Face” video clip. “We want to be fast, quick and efficient. Get to watching our football games, getting to eat and getting to sleep.”

The Shop collection is available exclusively at Walmart starting April 1. Each product is under $10, which Carter says “was important” to them when considering price points.

“We wanted to make sure we didn’t exclude our community,” Rivera tells PEOPLE. “We’re incredibly happy with where we landed, not only from a price point standpoint but from the quality of product that we were able to provide at that price point.”

He concludes, “At our core, it is for that barbershop community.”