LeBron James Sends Cease-And-Desist Letter Demanding Sports Betting App Stop Using His Name & Likeness Without Permission

LeBron James

LeBron James Sends Cease-And-Desist Letter Demanding Sports Betting App Stop Using His Name & Likeness Without Permission

#LeBronJames is taking legal action against a sports betting app accused of using his likeness without permission.

The #NBA superstar’s legal team recently sent a cease-and-desist letter to PlayVision Inc., the company behind Bron AI, after an advertisement featured a man resembling James wearing a No. 23 jersey with “Bron” on the back. According to the letter, the ad falsely suggests James is associated with the platform and potentially involved in betting on basketball, which would violate NBA rules. His spokesperson made it clear that James “is in no way affiliated with this unauthorized use of his likeness.”

The company was ordered to stop using James’ name and likeness by 5:30 p.m. Thursday, and the controversial ad had reportedly been removed from #BronAI’s Instagram account by that afternoon. James’ longtime media adviser, Adam Mendelsohn, suggested the company may have intentionally sought legal attention for publicity, adding, “These gimmicks never work because people see through it.” Notably, James already has ties to the sports betting industry, having recently signed a marketing deal with Polymarket after previously serving as a #DraftKings brand ambassador.