There are many NBA players who are fans of soccer, particularly overseas such as England’s Premier League and Spain’s La Liga. Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was a well-known superfan, proudly supporting Italy’s AC Milan.
Current Lakers superstar LeBron James took things a step farther when he purchased a 2% stake in England football club Liverpool FC in 2011. Liverpool has long been one of the most popular clubs in all of England, but has recently gone through a bit of a championship drought in the Premier League as they have failed to capture the league crown since 1990.
While they have won other cups since then, including last year’s Champions League which brings together all of the best teams in Europe, they still failed to win their own league, narrowly finishing second to perennial favorite Manchester City.
But this year was different as Liverpool was on a mission from the beginning of the year. And thanks to Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over Manchester City, the squad finally clinched its first Premier League championship in 30 years. Along with all of their fans across the world, James was excited and celebrating the championship as well.
PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LET’S GO ???????????????????? @LFC #YNWA♥️ ????????????????????????
— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 25, 2020
LeBron cheering on other teams is nothing new. Many will remember him going crazy during Game 7 of the 2016 World Series as his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers faced off with the Chicago Cubs and he is also a noted fan of the New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys. This, however, is different as James is a part owner so he directly benefits from his team’s success.
LeBron has always strived to break barriers and do things differently from most, and being a minority owner of a soccer team is just that. He has spoken about wanting to one day own an NBA team and getting involved with this soccer squad is a good first step in that direction.
As for Liverpool themselves, they still have plenty to play for even though the league championship has been clinched. Led by Virgil van Djik and Mohamed Salah, the club has the potential to have the greatest season in Premier League history. They are currently on pace to set the Premier League record for points, wins, and distance between second place.
With those possibilities, along with the chance to defend their Champions League title as well, Liverpool has the chance to put together arguably the greatest season in English soccer history and who knows how LeBron will react should they pull that off.
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