In July, LeBron James signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. The former Los Angeles Laker looks to earn $4 million during the 2026–27 NBA season. In his latest endeavor with Polymarket, the prediction-market platform agreed to pay James more than three times that amount.
James’s off-the-court resume has never been short, as his reach has expanded into media, major sports ownership, venture capital, and multi-million-dollar philanthropy. With Polymarket, James reportedly stands to make $15 million under the recently announced partnership.
According to Front Office Sports, Ryan Glasspiegel and Ben Horney: “The length of his agreement with Polymarket was not clear, although one source says it’s an ‘ongoing engagement’ with multiple ‘deliverables,’ such as social media posts and other content. Under the deal, James will focus on promoting football, not basketball.”
Recently, James teased the new deal in a Polymarket commercial with several notable celebrities as well as sports icons Payton Manning and Derek Jeter, who also have their own deals with the prediction platform.
Numerous platforms similar to Polymarket have been adding reputable athletes, media figures, and some of sports’ top associations to their rosters to draw consumer attention.
“Prediction-market platforms have been jockeying for attention and customers amid the start of the football season. Kalshi recently released an ad featuring former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch and counts athletes such as NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo as investors. Sports-focused platform Novig made waves last week with a racy commercial featuring actress Sydney Sweeney nude, using basketballs and footballs to cover herself,” Ryan Glasspiegel and Ben Horney wrote.
“Both Polymarket and Kalshi are official partners of the NHL, while Polymarket is MLB’s exclusive prediction-market partner and Kalshi is an “authorized prediction market” under MLB’s integrity framework, which has allowed it to do a number of team-level deals. The NBA and NFL have yet to embrace prediction markets. Sources tell FOS the former is closing in on agreements, while the latter remains a staunch holdout.”
Polymarket is the latest off-court attraction for the four-time NBA champion, although James recently visited Angola for his E1 Racing team’s debut in Luanda. A spokesperson for Polymarket declined to comment, and a rep for James did not immediately respond to FOS.
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