Luka Doncic sides with ref after Kings fan gets ejected

Luka Doncic has joined LeBron James in sending a cease and desist to an AI sports betting company that used his name and image without permission.

The company is called Bron AI, and it is owned by PlayVision Inc., a sports technology startup.

The ad that triggered the legal action was posted to social media on Wednesday.

It showed a person meant to resemble James — wearing a No. 23 basketball jersey with the name “Bron” on it — flipping through the app.

The ad also featured other NBA players, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell and Dillon Brooks.

The social media posts amassed over 900,000 views in less than 24 hours.

They were removed from X/Twitter after Front Office Sports first reported the cease and desist.

James, who left the Lakers for the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency this past summer, has an exclusive endorsement deal with Polymarket.

Adam Mendelsohn, James’s longtime media advisor, told The California Post that Bron AI’s ad is “another example of the decline and lack of originality in sports media.”

“It’s all about cheap clicks and aggregation,” Mendelsohn said in a statement.

“A lot of pundits do it too. I’m sure their intent all along was for us to send a cease and desist in order to play the social media game. You would prefer not to respond but you don’t have a choice in a situation like this.”

A cease and desist on behalf of Doncic was also sent to PlayVision Inc., a source close to the Lakers superstar told The California Post.

Doncic’s photo also appeared in the Bron AI ad, according to a report from Ben Horney of Front Office Sports.

A representative for Doncic confirmed the action to Front Office Sports.

The move comes after Doncic has been on a hot streak on the court.

He currently leads the league in scoring by a wide margin and looks like an early frontrunner for his first MVP award.

He recently dropped 40 points on the Sacramento Kings.

The Lakers are 7-2 to start the season.

Doncic and James are no longer teammates on the court, but they are now aligned in this legal battle off it.

James filed his cease and desist to Bron AI first, after the company used his name and likeness evidently without his consent.

Doncic followed shortly after.

The legal concept behind a cease and desist is straightforward: it is a formal demand that a party stop an allegedly illegal activity.

In this case, the allegation is that Bron AI used the players’ names and images for commercial purposes without authorization.

State laws in the U.S., particularly in California, protect the right of publicity — the right of an individual to control the commercial use of their name, image and likeness.

Celebrities and athletes frequently send cease and desist letters when they believe their likeness has been used without permission.

If the recipient does not comply, the next step can be a lawsuit seeking damages and an injunction.

It remains to be seen what will come of Doncic’s cease and desist to Bron AI.

The company has not publicly responded to the legal demand.

James’s camp has already made clear they view the ad as a deliberate attempt to generate attention.

Mendelsohn’s statement suggested the company may have anticipated the legal response.

“You would prefer not to respond but you don’t have a choice in a situation like this,” he said.

The Lakers will next hit the floor on Friday at home for an NBA Cup game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

For now, Doncic’s focus appears locked in on the court, even as his lawyers handle matters off it.

The parallel with James is notable: both players are now taking a stand against unauthorized use of their likeness by AI-driven companies.

The technology behind such apps has advanced rapidly in recent years, raising new legal questions about consent and compensation.

AI-generated content can now create realistic images and videos of real people without their involvement.

This has led to a growing number of cease and desist letters and lawsuits from public figures.

Doncic and James are among the most prominent athletes to take such action.

The Bron AI ad that sparked the dispute is no longer publicly available on social media.

But the nearly one million views it accumulated before removal suggest significant public interest.

The case highlights the tension between AI startups looking for viral marketing and athletes protecting their brand.

For Doncic, the off-court distraction has not slowed his production.

He is averaging over 30 points per game and has led the Lakers to one of the best records in the Western Conference.

His teammate Austin Reaves is rounding back into form after a shaky start.

The Lakers’ offseason additions, including Walker Kessler, have also played well.

But the legal situation with Bron AI remains unresolved.

Neither Doncic nor James has filed a lawsuit at this point.

A cease and desist is often a first step before litigation.

It gives the recipient a chance to comply voluntarily.

If Bron AI does not stop using the players’ likenesses, a court battle could follow.

The company, PlayVision Inc., has not commented publicly.

It is unclear whether the ad was created using AI to generate the players’ images or whether it used real photographs.

The distinction matters legally.