Professional Poker player calls out LeBron James for promoting betting after massive deal with gambling app
Outside of basketball, LeBron James has had an extremely successful business career. Over the years, he's partnered with countless brands and companies. Recently, one person spoke out against the NBA star doing business with a gambling company.
While it was once looked down upon, sports gambling has become a major part of today's sport culture. With it growing in popularity, sportsbook have tried to partner with as many names as possible. Back in January, LeBron announced that he had officially partnered with DraftKings.
Months later, Haralabos Voulgaris clapped back at LeBron James for this move. Between his success on and off the court, he feels the LA Lakers star didn't need to do this from a financial standpoint. Voulgaris feels LeBron shouldn't have done this because of how many people have been negatively impacted by gambling.
Voulgaris is a professional gambler who has made over three million dollars in poker tournaments. He is also widely known for his success betting on the NBA.
Aside from his betting, Voulgaris has other NBA connections. He was once employed by the Dallas Mavericks as director of quantitative research. Voulgaris held this position for roughly three years before both sides decided to part ways.
LeBron James taps into NFL fandom with DraftKings partnership
While basketball is his craft, LeBron James has always had a passion for football. He is a big NFL fan, and is always sharing his thoughts on the league on social media. With his partnership with DraftKings, he'll be taking his interest to a whole new level.
The sportsbook company partnered with the NBA icon because of his social media presence during football season. As part of his multi-year deal, LeBron will be a football ambassador for DraftKings and pick major events to help grow the brand.
In their statement announcing the partnership, DraftKings cited that they are excited to work with such an influential athlete.
“Welcoming one of the most influential and greatest athletes of all time, LeBron James, to the DraftKings family is an absolute honor and privilege. We look forward to working with a passionate sports fan who shares the same competitive mindset that echoes throughout the walls at DraftKings, while delivering exciting engagement opportunities to our customers and his loyal fanbase for years to come.”
For the longest time, LeBron was known as being a fan of Dallas Cowboys. That said, he made a change earlier this year. During an episode of "The Shop," he stated that he now roots for his hometown team, the Cleveland Browns.
As he continues to exprand his brand off the court, LeBron is still performing at a high level for the LA Lakers. In his 21st season, the four-time MVP is posting averages of 25.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 8.1 APG.