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LeBron James made headlines in the sports world this week, but not for his play on the court. In fact, the news doesn’t even center around the NBA.
Instead, the league’s all-time leading scorer announced that he’ll soon give out weekly football bets in a partnership with DraftKings. This comes after he was absolutely roasted this season for his NFL picks.
James actually started his own personal segment this season in which he handed out his betting advice to followers on X and Instagram. Unfortunately, he saw mixed results.
Now, no one is claiming the basketball star to be a ‘shark,’ but much of his online advice led to mockery.
He started in late September, handing out some “locks” for Week 4.
“Y’all know I love football,” a post read on X. “With that said, I’m thinking about doing my picks of the week (NFL games) on IG live before they start.”
He also added in that post that he’d already started the week 1-0 with his pick in the Thursday night matchup, which he didn’t advertise online, leading to an abundance of ‘LeBron Lies’ memes resurfacing.
In the picks that were made public, he’d go 0-2 in disastrous fashion with his two bets losing by a combined 49 points outright.
For those that tuned into his IG Live that weekend, he actually did post an 8-4-1 record ATS that particular Sunday, but many only saw his embarrassing flops with Pittsburgh and Cleveland.
James gave it another go in Week 5, picking the Commanders to beat the Bears. Washington would later lose by 20 points.
Will do my NFL picks for this Sunday on IG live before they begin Sunday but for tonight TNF game I’m going with Wash over Chi. Nevertheless hope it’s a great game. 🏈 junkie
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 5, 2023
LeBron redeemed himself in Week 6 by correctly picking the Ravens over the Titans. Baltimore both won and covered a one-score spread.
It seems his weekly NFL picks tapered off once the NBA season started, but next year, we should expect them to be year-long.
LeBron partners with DraftKings
👑 x 👑!!! Football season just got A LOT more fun. 🏈😁🙏🏾 Let’s go! @DraftKings #DKPartner pic.twitter.com/kyNaq3WBZm
— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 31, 2024
LeBron will partner with DraftKings to pump out his weekly football picks, among other content, as an ambassador for the company. We’ve seen other athletes land similar deals in the past, most notably Rob Gronkowski, who looks primed for his second Super Bowl “Kick of Destiny” with rival FanDuel.
DraftKings CEO Jason Robbins is excited about the future, posting a message on X regarding the announcement.
“Welcoming one of the most influential and greatest athletes of all time, LeBron James, to the DraftKings family is an absolute honor and privilege. We look forward to working with a passionate sports fan who shares the same competitive mindset that echoes throughout the walls at DraftKings, while delivering exciting engagement opportunities to our customers and his loyal fanbase for years to come.”
Fans were also quick to comment on the news.
“I understand hiring LeBron as an ambassador, but why do we need his NFL picks?”
“LeBron turned his IG Live NFL picks into a DraftKings bag. Insane.”
“No one who is serious about betting is tailing Lebron‘s NFL picks.”
It will be interesting to see how James performs next season. Hopefully he can avoid online trolling and turn a profit for his followers.