LeBron James teases Polymarket partnership in new social media video

Deals•September 5, 2026, 10:01AM EDT
UPDATED: September 5, 2026, 10:18AM EDT
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LeBron James teases Polymarket partnership in new social media video

Quick Take

  • LeBron James posted a video to his X and Instagram accounts Saturday morning seemingly teasing a forthcoming Polymarket ad or partnership announcement. 
  • “Welcome to Polymarket HQ. Coming soon,” James captioned the short clip, adding, “In partnership with @Polymarket”.
  • “thanks for swinging by our HQ,” the Polymarket account replied on X, adding a goat emoji. 
  •  James’ recent free agency decision generated $273 million in prediction market volume across platforms, though his ultimate decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers came as a surprise to traders and fans.
  • James’ announcement drew some backlash from fans on social media. 
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Philadelphia 76ers forward LeBron James teased a forthcoming partnership with Polymarket on Saturday, six weeks after traders across prediction market platforms traded more than $273 million worth of contracts tied to his decision to join the team.

"Welcome to Polymarket HQ. Coming soon," James wrote in posts on X and Instagram. The caption adds: "In partnership with @Polymarket."

The 14-second video shows James entering a stylized Polymarket office before the company’s logo and the words “COMING SOON” appear. Polymarket reposted the X video less than an hour after it was posted at 8:30 a.m. EST Saturday morning. "thanks for swinging by our HQ," the Polymarket account replied to James' X post, adding a goat emoji. 

The posts appear to be the first reveal of a formal relationship between James and Polymarket. Though James acknowledged a "partnership" with the prediction market platform in the posts, it remains unclear whether the teaser is for a forthcoming advertisement or whether James has a more significant ambassador, investor, or sponsorship arrangement with the platform. 

Polymarket and representatives for James and the 76ers did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Block. 

James' latest free-agency decision led to $273 million worth of related contracts changing hands across prediction market platforms, Legal Sports Report reported, more than any individual game of basketball. Front Office Sports put the markets' volume at roughly $226 million on Kalshi and more than $43 million on Polymarket’s international platform.

Prediction market traders largely missed the outcome, however. Before James' decision was publicized, the 76ers traded near 9% odds while the Miami Heat stood around 45%, according to Legal Sports Report. James later signed a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option.

James previously signed a "multi-year" talent ambassador agreement with DraftKings in 2024. The agreement saw James "join DraftKings as a talent ambassador around football and select key tentpole events as part of a multi-year agreement," per the announcement. It is currently unclear whether the partnership is still ongoing and whether or not it overlaps with the forthcoming Polymarket announcement. 

Some of the most popular comments surfaced prominently beneath James’ Instagram and X posts criticized his association with the platform. "My glorious king why are you promoting evil sports gambling," says one fan on the Instagram post's most-liked comment, with about 4,500 likes as of publication time. "Don’t do this Bron," an X user wrote in that platform's most-liked reply so far, with over 3,000 likes.