LeBron James blasts a betting app that uses his image without permission

LeBron James has taken legal action against a sports betting app that is reportedly using his name and image without his consent. The Philadelphia 76ers star wants Bron AI, a platform designed to provide forecasts and analyses related to sports betting, to stop using any elements that could identify him.

A spokesperson for the player confirmed to Front Office Sports that James "has no relationship with this unauthorized use of his image." The controversy arose after an advertisement for Bron AI featured a person resembling the four-time NBA champion. In the image, the individual was wearing a jersey with the number 23 and the name "Bron" on the back while using the app.

The platform is designed to offer betting recommendations and analyses by gathering data from traditional sportsbooks and prediction markets. However, the use of such a recognizable figure as LeBron James has prompted an immediate reaction from the player's camp.

LeBron James demands removal of his image from Bron AI

Attorney Lawrence Shire sent a cease and desist letter on behalf of James to PlayVision Inc., the company responsible for the app. Front Office Sports obtained the document, in which the lawyer contends that the company has made unauthorized use of the player’s name, nickname, image, persona, and other identifying elements to create an association between the two parties.

The claim also highlights the potential consequences of publicly linking LeBron to basketball betting. According to the letter, the advertisement conveys the impression that the player is involved in betting related to the sport, which would constitute a serious violation of NBA rules and regulations.

For this reason, James's legal representation demanded that the company stop using his name and any representation of his image by 5:30 PM on Thursday.

The reaction had repercussions on social media. By Thursday evening, the promotional post containing the advertisement had already disappeared from Bron AI's Instagram account.

LeBron's camp suspects they were seeking publicity

Adam Mendelsohn, LeBron James's communications advisor for many years, also spoke on the matter in statements to Front Office Sports. The representative hinted that the app might have deliberately sought to provoke a legal reaction to gain media attention.

"You would prefer not to respond, but you have no choice in a situation like this," Mendelsohn explained, also noting that this is not the first time someone has used the player's image without authorization and likely won't be the last.

Additionally, he sent a strong message about such advertising strategies: "These tricks never work because people catch on."

For their part, neither Bron AI nor PlayVision Inc. had responded to requests for comments made by Front Office Sports.

LeBron James also has business agreements related to betting

The episode comes at a time when James maintains business ties with the prediction markets and sports betting sector. Recently, the player signed a marketing agreement with Polymarket, a prediction market platform.

Previously, since January 2024, he had served as a brand ambassador for DraftKings. However, those business agreements are unrelated to the Bron AI app, whose use of his image is precisely what has prompted his legal team's claim.

LeBron wants to make it clear that he does not endorse or is affiliated with this platform and that no company can use his identity to promote its services without his authorization.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, LeBron James estalla contra una aplicación de apuestas que utiliza su imagen sin permiso