LeBron James' partnership with betting company divides fans, with some calling him a "sellout"
James has a history of aligning himself with sports gambling companies.
It's been quite the summer for LeBron James . The King chose to leave the Los Angeles Lakers , taking his time before making the decision to finish out his legendary NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers .
It was clearly not a financially driven decision, as James will get paid a very modest $8 million over two seasons in Philly. James has amassed over $581 million in career earnings throughout his playing career, in addition to his various other avenues to revenue. He's far from short on money, but that doesn't stop him from looking for new partnerships.
LeBron James signs with Polymarket after DraftKings partnership ends
That has, surprisingly, led The King to sign a partnership contract with Polymarket . Polymarket is " the world’s largest prediction market, where users trade on the outcomes of real-world events ".
This isn't the first time James has aligned himself with a betting company, either. James previously had a contract with notable sports gambling company DraftKings , which ended this summer.
Obviously, professional athletes being paid to promote sports betting companies is a massive conflict of interest . Despite that, there's nothing stopping athletes from being free to do so . Professional sports teams all around the world, in different sports, also have partnerships with betting companies.
Still, Polymarket is quite a controversial company due to the platform allowing for practically any type of situation to be wagered on, even including military conflicts . Polymarket is banned in several countries, including France, Brazil and Italy. It was also unable to operate from 2022 to 2025 in the United States, until President Donald Trump eased regulations - a polarizing decision given that Donald Trump Jr. also joined the company as an advisor.
Many fans simply don't understand why James is willing to be an ambassador for such a controversial company despite being one of the richest athletes in the world .
