LeBron James is set to become the first NBA athlete to sign an individual partnership with Polymarket, adding another prominent sports figure to the growing number of athletes working with prediction market services.
The four-time NBA champion and four-time league MVP announced the partnership Saturday morning, a little more than a month before the start of the 2026-27 season.
James, a Philadelphia 76ers star and future Hall of Famer, revealed the partnership through a 14-second video posted to his X account. The video showed him stepping out of an elevator after selecting a floor labeled “sports.” Other floors displayed inside the elevator included politics, crypto, economy, culture, weather, esports, and technology.
“Welcome to Polymarket HQ. Coming soon,” James wrote for his caption. “In partnership with Polymarket.”
Polymarket’s account responded to the post by writing, “Thanks for swinging by our HQ,” followed by a goat emoji.
thanks for swinging by our HQ 🐐
— Polymarket (@Polymarket) September 5, 2026
A Polymarket spokesman sent a message to The Athletic on Saturday describing the arrangement as an “exclusive partnership” and saying further details would be announced Tuesday.
“With football season around the corner, we look forward to tapping into James’ love for the sport and exploring other ways to bring Polymarket to wider audiences,” the message read.
Polymarket bills itself as the world’s largest prediction market and allows users to trade on the outcomes of future events. One market on the platform concerns whether James will play with his son, Bronny, during the 2026-27 season.
James’ agreement comes as prediction market operators continue expanding their relationships with athletes. DeChambeau reached a deal with Kalshi in mid-January, becoming its first athlete endorser, according to Front Office Sports.
Antetokounmpo announced his Kalshi deal in February and became the first NBA player to directly invest in the company. Messi and the Argentina national soccer team followed with a Kalshi partnership in June.
Polymarket has also worked with tennis star Maria Sharapova, who promoted the platform through social media by posting a video of herself trading on the app during a live tennis match.