Over the Labor Day weekend, LeBron James announced a new partnership with Polymarket that drew a collective reaction of disappointment and fatigue.
But if the idea of James endorsing the controversial prediction market that sidesteps any kind of regulation in offering sports gambling is nothing compared to just how many athletes and celebrities took the bag from Polymarket in the official advertisement.
Prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi have exploded in popularity thanks to their offers of live wagers on any number of props, both inside and outside of sports. But because they are based on contract trades, they can exist in a gray area that’s easy to manipulate. Insiders have enriched themselves on everything from bets about the Iran War to teleprompter operators. You can also spend your hard-earned money betting on things like when the United States government will confirm that aliens are real.
It’s also true in sports, where the opportunities to cheat the system are far greater than in traditional sports betting, which has enough problems of its own in that department. But it’s not just LeBron James promoting Polymarket as nothing but good times when it comes to trading these sports contracts and entering into the wild west of gambling. It’s a ton of other former athletes and celebrities.
The ad posted to James’ social media account prominently features ESPN Monday Night Football star Eli Manning, Amazon Prime Video’s Richard Sherman, Fox’s Derek Jeter, Rajon Rondo, Reggie Bush, and Sue Bird. Celebrities include Alexandra Daddario, John Leguizamo, Craig Robinson, and Spike Lee. And that’s probably just half of all the people that Polymarket got on board for the spot.
Step inside Polymarket HQ.
Somebody get the ice bath ready for @EliManning after that tackle. 🧊🤣🏈
In partnership with Polymarket pic.twitter.com/xfv1nr6OOb
— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 8, 2026
Seeing this many celebrities and athletes being willing to put their name and reputation on the line for Polymarket is a huge disappointment. Surely none of them need the money that badly, right? Eventually, it appears as if the legality and future regulation of prediction markets will ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court.
Prediction markets are ripe for corruption and predatory behavior. Just ask George Santos. But like most other gambling spots, this Polymarket ad makes it look like the biggest party in the world, with all the people that you admire in sports and pop culture along for the joyride. And the potential conflicts of interest with an active athlete like LeBron James endorsing the platform are mind-blowing. But clearly the biggest priority for everyone involved in this endorsement is getting paid to secure their slice of the pie before the industry gets blown up.
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