LeBron James has spent years on YouTube, but there has always been a difference between appearing on the platform and actually creating for it. The NBA superstar has featured on The Mind Game podcast and made guest appearances on numerous other channels.
However, he had never personally launched a channel and regularly uploaded his own content. That has now changed, and the NBA world has plenty to say about it.
Lebron James Is Officially a Youtuber Now
On Saturday, James announced that he was taking his YouTube presence to another level. After seeing how much attention his fans gave to his 2016 Cavaliers reunion trip, the 76ers star decided to launch a channel of his own.
“You all loved the 2016 reunion trip so much I thought I’d give ya’ll a little more. Welcome to my YouTube channel! My life on and around the course. Let’s go!!!”James wrote on X.
The first video, which was released on August 15, brought James together with several of his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammates in Scotland as they celebrated the 10th anniversary of their historic 2016 NBA championship.
James, Kevin Love, Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye, J.R. Smith, and Tristan Thompson were all part of the reunion, with the group taking part in a golf scramble at Castle Stuart Golf Links at Cabot Highlands.
Rather than another basketball-focused production, James used the occasion to combine one of the biggest moments of his career with his current interest in golf. Still, the reaction online has not been entirely warm.
LBJ’s upcoming season with Philadelphia will be his 24th NBA season. He also remains the NBA’s all-time regular-season scoring leader, with 43,440 points. For many in the NBA world, seeing someone with that résumé suddenly embrace YouTube is simply unexpected.
“24 years in the league to become a YouTuber,” one influencer wrote.
Forbes currently estimates James’ net worth at $1.4 billion, making him the first active NBA player to reach billionaire status. That has left some in the NBA community wondering why James would need to pursue YouTube at this point in his life.
“Why would a billionaire need to waste time with yt? Or are these contract numbers [expletive]???” one influencer commented.
YouTube is often viewed as a post-retirement hobby for professional athletes. Now, seeing James do it while he is still preparing for another NBA season has therefore fueled speculation that the end of his playing career could be closer than ever.
“[Expletive] we really witnessing the end of his career,” another influencer said.
While most users were busy debating why James needed to venture into YouTube at this stage of his career, one user took a completely different approach. Instead of questioning the move itself, the user turned their attention to the thumbnail chosen for the debut video.
“Why he got one of those [expletive] YouTube slop thumbnails,” the user wrote.
For now, James remains an active NBA player and is preparing to suit up for Philadelphia. But his first YouTube episode has given fans another reason to wonder whether the King is slowly preparing for life beyond basketball.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.