LeBron James teased a Polymarket partnership Saturday in a 14-second social media video showing him exiting an elevator on a sports floor, captioning the post "Welcome to Polymarket HQ. Coming soon." Polymarket will release additional details Tuesday, according to The Athletic.
The four-time NBA champion and SpringHill Company founder enters his 24th season in the league. His deal marks the first NBA athlete partnership for Polymarket.
Tennis star Maria Sharapova previously signed with Polymarket. Soccer legend Lionel Messi partnered with rival platform Kalshi. Former NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo made a direct investment in Kalshi in February. Actor Timothée Chalamet appeared in a Kalshi advertisement in June. Polymarket partnered with the Golden Globes broadcast in January, displaying win probabilities for nominees that users could trade.
James' partnership arrives as the prediction market industry faces legal headwinds. New Jersey petitioned the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking a ruling on whether states can regulate sports betting on prediction markets. The petition followed a 9th Circuit appeals court decision establishing that Nevada can block Kalshi from facilitating sports bets.
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a statement: "Companies like Kalshi claim to offer legal sports betting in all 50 states, but they refuse to follow the gambling laws of any state."
The union representing New York Times staffers urged the company against a planned Kalshi partnership Wednesday, warning a deal could compromise journalistic independence. The New York Times subsequently abandoned its plans.
Celebrity advertising campaigns for prediction markets, including those featuring Sydney Sweeney and James, have drawn public pushback as platforms seek to expand beyond sports into politics and pop culture.
