LeBron James walked back his Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl-winner prediction when the Los Angeles Lakers star was asked on ESPN on Saturday night after a Lakers win
13:08 ET, 08 Feb 2026Updated 13:08 ET, 08 Feb 2026
LeBron James
View 2 Images
LeBron James is not shy in his fandom for football(Image: Getty Images)
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has long been a fan of the NFL, at one point claiming he even fancied his chances of playing professional football after starring on the gridiron in high school.
James is now a partner with the DraftKings sportsbook, for whom he typically provides his weekly NFL betting tips. Ahead of Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, the Lakers star chose Seattle as his winner.
Article continues below
When asked by ESPN's Lisa Salters who he thinks will win after Los Angeles's Luka Doncic-less 105-99 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night, James was suddenly impartial.
Article continues below
READ MORE: Luka Doncic shows true colors amid injury struggles as Lakers star sets poetic return dateREAD MORE: NBA superstar makes eyebrow-raising investment shortly after trade decision
"Happy Super Bowl Sunday to everybody," James told Salters after attempting to sign off from his postgame interview, walking away from the microphone.. "Who ya got?" she asked
"No, people are going to get mad if I say," he answered, forgetting his previous DraftKings prediction. Salters pushed him. "Come on, you’ve gotta pick somebody," she urged James. The NBA's all-time story finally gave her an answer.
Content cannot be displayed without consent
"I got the winner," he said, getting a laugh out of Salters. ESPN play-by-play man Mike Breen appreciated the joke in the booth. "That's the smartest decision he's made tonight," he quipped.
Breen's comment may have been in reference to James's performance. The Los Angeles forward finished with 20 points but shot just 6-of-17 from the field, logging seven turnovers in the process
Sam Darnold
View 2 Images
James is putting his eggs in the basket of Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold(Image: Getty Images)
Early on Saturday, official DratKings social media accounts posted a video of James picking his Super Bowl LX champion. "I got Seattle coming out victorious," he said.
"I’ve seen what they’ve done all year. Unbelievable defense. They fly around. They got some heavy hitters on offense as well. Sam Darnold, he’s bounced back from last year’s playoff performance. You know, they are super well coached."
READ MORE: NBA Slam Dunk contest line-up in full has fans reacting the same wayREAD MORE: Kobe Bryant made blunt 2017 Donald Trump admission as President deals with recent backlash
When James mentioned that "people are going to get mad" with whoever he picks, he may have been referencing his connection to Patriots coach Mike Vrabel: both are from Akron, Ohio. "Obviously, the Patriots are super well-coached, too. Shout out to Mike Vrabel, Ohio’s own," James added in the video.
Article continues below
James was recently named to the NBA All-Star game for a record 22nd time despite averaging his fewest points per game (21.8) since his rookie year all the way back in 2003-04. His 6.8 assists and 5.7 rebounds are in line with his career numbers.