NBA fans left confused after LeBron James breaks NJCAA record in men’s Javelin Throw

LeBron James javelin record sparks NBA double-take

As Track Gazette reported, LeBron James broke the NJCAA men’s javelin record with a huge throw in New Mexico.

“LeBron James breaks the NJCAA Record in the men’s Javelin Throw with a 77.91m heave in New Mexico! He broke the record of 76.29m set by Markim Felix in 2018 to win the NJCAA title,” the tweet revealed.

The athlete is a sophomore javelin thrower at New Mexico Junior College, not the Lakers superstar.

He is from Trinidad and Tobago and has built a strong junior college track career, including back-to-back NJCAA javelin titles.

The shared name is what turned a track record into a viral basketball-adjacent story. A 77.91m throw would be impressive on its own, but attaching the name LeBron James made fans stop and check twice.

NBA fans joke after realizing LeBron James mix-up

Once fans realized this was not the Lakers’ LeBron James, the jokes came fast. One fan wrote, “Ngl, the name LeBron should be limited to just one person.” Another leaned into the confusion, asking, “Is there nothing LeBron can’t do?”

The timing also made fans laugh because the NBA star has been around long enough for younger athletes to share his name while he is still playing. One fan wrote, “LeBron has been around so long that we’re going to see people with his name while he’s still in the league.”

Others kept the joke going as if the Lakers forward had added another sport to his résumé. One fan said, “Save some records for the rest of the athletes, damn.” Another summed up the reaction perfectly, writing, “I had to double-check, he’s real.”

That is why the story traveled so widely. It was a real NJCAA record, set by a real javelin standout, but the name made everyone think of one of basketball’s most famous athletes first.