Watch enough sports, and you’re bound to get superstitious.
This is something that plagues both fans and players alike. For example, Michael Jordan reportedly wore the same pair of practice shorts under his uniform for every NBA game. Similarly, Patrick Mahomes has said he wears the same pair of red underwear every game—though he insists he washes them frequently.
Recently, some basketball fans have noted a peculiar presence at games. Now, they’re wondering if he’s having a malign influence on the players. Just who is this wild character?
Who Is This Man?
Across TikTok, users are pointing out one man who has been appearing at NBA games. He has a shock of white hair and generally sports a cowboy hat, typically pairing the look with an over-the-top suit.
As his presence at games has become more common, a wave of conspiracies has emerged about the man. In one TikTok video, user @swervingout puts together photos of the mystery man with several basketball stars, captioning the video with the hashtag “soulreaper.”
“Notice the patterns?” the user writes. In the comments, the user clarifies that the “pattern” is that “they all shake his hand after or before a game.”
Commenters were quick to assume the worst about this man. Some even claimed he was a demonic entity.
“I rebuke any and all negative energy from this in the name of Jesus Christ,” one commenter wrote.
“That’s the monster from space jam that steal ppl talent when they don’t pay up lol,” another joked.
“The contracts and performances don’t come without a price,” a third stated.
But, really — who is this dude?
The Very Normal Explanation
So, is this man a representative for the devil coming to make deals with famous basketball players?
Of course not. Instead, he’s just a basketball superfan by the name of James Goldstein.
NBA fans will doubtlessly recognize Goldstein’s appearance. As reported by USA Today back in 2016, Goldstein has been going to games for decades. He’s attended thousands of NBA matches and claims to have been present at every single finals game. As of 2016, this amounted to over $500,000 in annual expenses on NBA tickets alone.
Goldstein has not revealed how he made his fortune. In 2020, the Hollywood Reporter claimed that he “made his fortune packaging groups of properties into investment vehicles and then suing municipalities, like Palm Springs and Palm Desert, if they thwart his attempts to end rent control.”
With this money, he’s done things like buy the famous Sheats-Goldstein Residence, which has been featured in countless music videos and movies, including “The Big Lebowski.” He’s also, as many NBA fans have noticed, repeatedly sat courtside at games and has gotten to know many players.
In short, he’s not the devil. He’s just a guy with a lot of money who likes basketball and wearing over-the-top outfits. Hey, if you had multiple millions of dollars, who’s to say you wouldn’t do the exact same thing?
@swervingout The handshake that seals the deal😭😭😭😭😭😭 #fyp #soulreaper
BroBible reached out to Goldstein via Instagram direct message and @swervingout via TikTok comment.