Jan 27, 2021; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James declines to make Super Bowl LV pick, cites friends on both teams

Originally posted on Sportress of Blogitude
By Jason Rowan | Last updated 2/5/21

LeBron James is always open to offering his opinions on pretty much any topic, to put it mildly, but the Los Angeles Lakers superstar declined to say which team he’s pulling for in Super Bowl LV when asked after Thursday’s game.

During a postgame interview with Kevin Harlan following the Lakers’ 114-93 comeback win over the Denver Nuggets, James refused to make a pick in Sunday’s showdown between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium.

James evidently is reluctant to choose a side because he has friends on both teams, including Chiefs superstar and reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, not to mention Buccaneers signal-caller and six-time champion (and four-time Super Bowl MVP) Tom Brady.

LeBron didn’t want to give his Super Bowl pick @brgridiron pic.twitter.com/wmEvqoLWox
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 5, 2021

James and Mahomes forged a bond last year when the Chiefs quarterback signed on to support the voting rights initiative, “More Than A Vote,” which boasts James among its ranks of high-profile Black athletes.

The friendship between James and Brady, meanwhile, goes back years. The two superstars have long engaged in a mutual admiration society on social media and elsewhere. Brady even congratulated James after the Lakers won the NBA title last fall, which the NBA star of course appreciated.

Further, James weighed in earlier this week about how he and Brady somehow continue to defy Father Time and remain at the top of their respective games.

“At our age, we can still dominate our sport,” James said Saturday, per Ryan Ward of Lakers Daily. “… We have one common goal and that’s to win and win at the highest level.”

However things shake out Sunday on the gridiron, James presumably will send his best wishes to the winning side and offer condolences to the team that came up short.

This article first appeared on Sportress of Blogitude and was syndicated with permission.

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