LeBron James isn’t often one to defer.
But when it comes to his status as “the king” of Northeast Ohio, the four-time NBA champion appears to be willing to take a back seat.
Taking to the social media platform X on Wednesday, James questioned why he hasn’t been asked to appear on New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce. In doing so, the Akron, Ohio, native gave major praise to the pair of All-Pro brothers, who grew up in nearby Cleveland Heights.
“Crazy I can’t get a invite to join yall fantastic show!” James wrote to the show’s official account. “Is it because you guys are truly the Kings of NE Ohio and I claim to be? Be honest! . Seriously you guys are AWESOME!!”
https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1709614903714275781
It would certainly be a convenient time for James to appear on New Heights, which the Kelce brothers first launched last September. In the time since — and despite their positions — both Jason and Travis have become two of the NFL’s biggest stars as they became the first brothers to ever have their teams face each other in a Super Bowl earlier this year.
This season, however, Travis’ fame has outgrown even the NFL, thanks to his relationship with pop megastar Taylor Swift. In the last two weeks alone, New Heights has made mainstream headlines with Travis publicly commenting on the rumored romance for the first time and more recently claiming that the NFL and broadcast partner NBC have gone “overboard” in their coverage of Swift at his games.
With the start of the NBA season right around the corner, what better way for James to kickoff his 21st season than to get the Kelce brothers — and by extension, Swift — rub? Perhaps the four-time MVP could even parlay it into a home and home with Jason and Travis appearing on The Shop.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.