As the months have passed since LeBron James decided to sign a free agent contract with the 76ers, it’s starting to become more understandable why he picked Philadelphia.
A new report in The Athletic detailed that LeBron’s deal with Polymarket, a prediction market platform that allows users to trade contracts outcomes of real-world events, including NBA games, is worth around $15 million annually.
While this doesn’t break the NBA’s rules, the $15 million coming from a personal brand deal made it easier for LeBron to sign a veteran minimum contract with Philadelphia. The Polymarket deal will pay LeBron more in one year than the Sixers will throughout the duration of his two-year contract, if LeBron decides to remain with Philadelphia after the 2026-27 season.
He’s also helicoptering to games.
You’ve probably heard about that, as LeBron had a pretty loud departure following his first practice with the Sixers.
He’s living in New York City, and has admitted to ESPN that he would’ve signed with the Knicks in free agency if they wouldn’t have beaten the San Antonio Spurs to win the NBA title in June.
“I had visions of playing in the Garden and finishing my career in the Garden. One of the best places I’ve ever played. I think it’s the No. 1 arena in the world, as far as for a basketball player,” James said. “But after they beat San Antonio, I was like, ‘Hey, I can’t.’ I couldn’t do it. Y’all wouldn’t have let me lay that down, at all.”
So instead of joining the Knicks and forming a superteam with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, LeBron decided to form one of his own that will contend with New York, while he’ll live in the Big Apple and take a helicopter ride to games.
But it’s not even his helicopter.
Front Office Sports reported that LeBron is using the Fanatics chopper as part of his partnership with the massive sports apparel company.
So, LeBron is making more through a Polymarket deal than he will in the NBA. His transportation to and from NYC is being covered by Fanatics.
The Sixers got a pretty sweet deal, as long as LeBron remains engaged.
On media day, LeBron noted that he didn’t leave his family in Los Angeles to lose in the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
That’s not a coincidence. Nothing LeBron ever says is.
He’s expecting the Sixers to make some serious noise in the NBA postseason. Joining forces with Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and V. J. Edgecombe will undoubtedly make Philadelphia one of the premier regular season teams in the Eastern Conference.
But LeBron is expecting more in the postseason, and that’s significant.
Not as significant as his current living arrangements, which seemed to have come together nicely for him ahead of his 24th NBA season. He just revealed chronic arthritis in his foot. But he’ll have all of his expenses covered by his prediction market deal, and Fanatics will pay for the helicopter airfare.
He couldn’t have had this sort of set up with the Cleveland Cavaliers or Miami Heat, so the Sixers better take advantage.
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