LeBron James has caught the golf bug late, but he’s fallen deeply in love with the sport.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer first started playing the sport this summer, aged 40, and he’s been obsessed ever since. He took to X to talk about Tommy Fleetwood’s first PGA Tour win, and even installed a simulator in his house.
This has been a source of controversy during the NBA season. No one has been more committed to basketball greatness than James over the last two decades, so there are some concerns about golf becoming a distraction for him this year.
After one of his games for the Los Angeles Lakers, James was asked about an opposing team’s player, and he admitted that he doesn’t watch the NBA. He’s into YouTube golf instead.
That’s a very different response from the typically well-prepared James, so what is it about golf that’s captured his imagination so much that he’s willing to sideline some of his dedication to basketball?
LeBron James explains his newfound love for golf
Since he was in high school, James has been at the center of attention in the sporting world. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated at 17 years old with the headline “The Chosen One”, and he’s lived up to the hype.
That means that since he was a teenager, James hasn’t been able to escape the spotlight. That was until he found golf.
He explained, “I love challenges. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. And to put the time into it and commit to it is something I’m really enjoying. It’s also very rare for me to be able to get away and not be bothered as well. To play golf is one of the places where you’re not allowed to be bothered.
“It’s just me, nature and the greens, and the bunkers, and a group of guys that I go with. I love it, I’m really enjoying it. I love watching it as well. Whether I’m watching the PGA or the YouTube golf and those guys. It’s a pretty cool sport, and I’m glad I finally got into it. It’s cool.”
And he also showed just how deep he is into his golf fandom with his final line: “And free Wesley Bryan.”
Bryan Bros respond to LeBron James’ ‘Free Wesley Bryan’ comments
Wesley Bryan is a PGA Tour winner turned content creator who has been banned from the PGA Tour. That’s because Bryan featured in a LIV-organized YouTube video, where content creators played alongside LIV players.
It’s strictly prohibited for any PGA Tour players to feature in LIV events, including videos such as these, so Bryan was given an indefinite suspension. Some thought this punishment was harsh, as it was akin to the one given to players who left the PGA Tour to join the LIV Golf league.
There have been frequent calls for the PGA Tour to allow Bryan back, and those cries have grown louder since the tour allowed five-time major winner Brooks Koepka back after he left LIV. That movement has come with a catchphrase: “Free Wesley”.
Following James’ comments, the Bryan Bros X account, which features Wesley Bryan, posted, “No way he really said free Wesley at the end”.
It’s surreal for all of us to see James speaking about the YouTube golf scene, so the Bryan Bros must feel like they’re dreaming!
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