TLDR LeBron James will earn $15 million a year endorsing Polymarket, according to Front Office Sports. The deal pays nearly four times his expected $4 million salary from the Philadelphia 76ers this season. A source said James is an endorser, not an investor, in the prediction market. James will promote football rather than basketball, according to The Athletic. New York’s attorney general has sued Polymarket, calling it an illegal gambling operation.
LeBron James has signed an endorsement deal with Polymarket worth $15 million a year, according to a report from Front Office Sports. Polymarket is a crypto-based prediction market where users trade on the outcomes of real-world events.
The deal pays James nearly four times what he is expected to earn from the Philadelphia 76ers this season. Front Office Sports reported his 76ers pay at about $4 million for the 2026-27 season.
A source told the outlet that James is an endorser of the company, not an investor. That means he is being paid to promote Polymarket rather than buying into it.
What James Will Promote
According to The Athletic, James will focus on promoting football as part of the partnership. He will not center his work on basketball, the sport he plays professionally.
From @TheAthletic: LeBron James will make nearly four times as much promoting the Polymarket prediction market as he will from playing basketball. The deal may not break NBA rules, but it raises uncomfortable questions. https://t.co/zRVcnfdy17
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 5, 2026
The reports did not give details on how the football promotion will work. They also did not say how long the deal will last.
The NBA places limits on how much its players can invest in outside companies. Commissioner Adam Silver has said players are capped