LeBron James kicked off his first season with the Philadelphia 76ers this year, but that is not the only new partnership making waves for the veteran forward. Just last month, James dropped the news about an endorsement deal with Polymarket, one of the top prediction markets out there, and folks are already raising eyebrows. This whole thing is getting serious scrutiny because a lot of people see prediction markets as being under the same umbrella as sports gambling.
More Money for Football Than Playing for Philly?
Here is where it gets absolutely wild: many are already comparing James’ new Polymarket deal to his new contract with the 76ers, especially since his Philly deal is apparently well below market value. Listen, James has certainly piled up millions in the NBA, so he was not chasing the biggest bag possible during free agency. But still, every single move James makes comes with an extra layer of scrutiny because of his legend status in the NBA, and that is especially true for his endorsement deals. James hit up social media on September 8 to announce he was the latest athlete to link up with Polymarket, even dropping a post about being “LOCKED IN” for Week 2 football on September 20. The craziest part? James and the company are not even partnering for basketball. Polymarket actually told Front Office Sports that James will “focus on football,” which is super similar to the deal he had with DraftKings for the past two years.
NBA’s Stance on Prediction Markets Shakes Things Up
The financial details? Oh, they are eye-popping. James is reportedly raking in $15 million a year from this endorsement deal. Get this: that is over $11 million *more* this year from Polymarket than he is making with the 76ers, where his entire Philadelphia contract is worth $8 million over the next two seasons. Talk about a side hustle! While the NFL and PGA Tour have both banned their players from partnering with prediction markets, the NBA has zero such rules in place. And James is not alone in this prediction market game either; Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kyle Kuzma have also partnered up with Kalshi, which is a rival to Polymarket. It makes you wonder what the league is thinking, right?
This whole Polymarket situation is a huge story for LeBron as he starts his new chapter in Philly, and we will definitely be keeping an eye on how this endorsement plays out during the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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