LeBron James Threatens to Sue ‘Bron’ AI Betting App After Viral Ad

LeBron James has sent a cease and desist letter to an AI-powered sports betting app called “Bron” after a viral ad used his likeness without permission.

The ad, posted to X/Twitter on Wednesday, shows an AI-generated basketball character wearing jersey number 23 with the nickname “Bron” on the back.

The character’s voice also resembles James’s voice.

In the clip, the character flips through the app and stops on a photo of Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks.

“Dillon Brooks? On Kalshi? Hell nah,” the character says.

The post was made by the company’s CEO and racked up more than 900,000 views in less than 24 hours.

Fans immediately joked that the person who made the ad would get sued.

“Bron is about to set a world land speed record in getting sued,” wrote Jay Huffman of GoChamp.ai.

LeBron James did not find the ad funny.

His lawyers at Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks PC sent a cease and desist letter demanding the app permanently stop using James’s likeness “in any manner and media.”

The letter also demands that Bron AI notify every person who has used the app, in writing, that James has no involvement with the company.

“LeBron is in no way affiliated with this unauthorized use of his likeness,” a spokesperson for James told Front Office Sports.

The unauthorized use is described in the letter as “especially serious and egregious” for two reasons.

First, James has an exclusive endorsement deal with Polymarket, a prediction market platform.

Second, the ad implies James is “involved with betting on basketball, which is a very serious violation of NBA rules and regulations,” according to the letter.

The letter states that James “intends to take any and all steps to enforce his rights as appropriate.”

Adam Mendelsohn, James’s longtime media advisor, told Front Office Sports that the ad was designed to provoke a response.

“I’m sure the intent here was for us to send a cease and desist in order to make it a story,” Mendelsohn said.

“You would prefer not to respond but you don’t have a choice in a situation like this. It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last.

For what it’s worth, these gimmicks never work because people see through it.”

As of Thursday morning, the ad had not been taken down by the Bron app creators.

The app, called Bron AI, bills itself as a tool that aggregates data and odds from traditional sportsbooks and prediction markets.

It allows users to identify potentially profitable wagers and automatically place bets on other apps.

In addition to James and Brooks, the ad includes images of NBA players Donovan Mitchell and Giannis Antetokounmpo and NFL players Christian McCaffrey and Jayden Daniels.

This is not the first time James has taken legal action over unauthorized use of his image.

Celebrity likeness rights are protected under both state and federal law, and unauthorized commercial use can lead to lawsuits for damages.

The legal standard typically requires proving that the use creates a false impression of endorsement or affiliation.

James’s exclusive deal with Polymarket adds a layer of complexity, because the Bron ad directly competes in the prediction market space.

The cease and desist letter is a formal demand that stops short of a lawsuit, but the letter warns that James will take further steps if necessary.

If Bron AI does not comply, James could file a lawsuit seeking monetary damages and an injunction.

The NBA has strict rules prohibiting players from betting on basketball, and any appearance of involvement can trigger league scrutiny.

James has been one of the NBA’s most marketable players for two decades, with endorsement deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

His legal team is known for aggressive protection of his brand.

The Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks firm represents some of the biggest names in entertainment and sports.