By virtue of being some of Ohio's most famous athletes, brothers Jason and Travis Kelce will always be connected to Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has long been one of the game's most notable players, an inner-circle Hall of Famer when the time comes and a key cog in a dynasty's offensive machine. After his relationship with pop star Taylor Swift became public, he quickly became one of the most popular football players on the planet.
Through that connection, Kelce and James are once again intertwined.
On Wednesday, James went on "The Pat McAfee Show" to discuss a litany of topics, most importantly his ongoing feud with ESPN titan Stephen A. Smith. James felt that Smith encroached too far with his criticism of his son, Bronny, getting a shot in the NBA, suggesting that things got personal and then construed for more attention.
"He's like on a Taylor Swift tour run right now... It started off with 'I don't want to address it. I wasn't going to address it but since the video came out, I feel the need to address it.' (Expletive) are you kidding me? If there's one person that couldn't wait till the video drop so you could address it, it's your (expletive)."
It doesn't seem likely that Kelce would take issue with James' comments. Chiefs fans don't need to anger themselves over Swift merely being mentioned – she's merely a figure of comparison here.
Of course, Kelce knows a thing or two about defending his brother. It isn't hard to imagine one being sympathetic to James' cause.
"And he completely, like, missed the whole point. The whole point. Never would I ever not allow people to talk about the sport, criticize players about what they do on the court.
"That is your job to criticize or be in a position where if a guy's not performing, that's all part of the game. But when you take it and you get personal with it, it's my job to not only protect my damn household but protect the players."
Fortunately for Kansas City, both Kelce and Swift are set to return in 2025. Coming off a heartbreaking Super Bowl defeat that few saw coming, the Chiefs' chances to three-peat have come to a close. Kelce, however, isn't ready to call it a career.
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Nevertheless, both Kelce and James are intimately familiar with the click-driven business that their sports fuel and understand it's simply a part of being a professional athlete, especially with next-level stardom.
"I think a lot of the media, including him - and I know he's going to be happy as hell. He's going to be smiling from ear to ear when he hears me talking about him again. Oh my God. He's going to get home and get some ice cream out of his (expletive) freezer and sit in his chair in his tighty whities on his couch... Like dude, relax."
Swifties can stand down, but this doesn't rule out Kelce coming out in support of James, in which Chiefs fans would certainly follow.
Related: Taylor Swift Breaks Social Media Silence For Heartwarming Reason
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This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 2:39 PM.