Cleveland Cavaliers players including Lebron James in attendance in game seven of the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field.
LeBron James hardly ever takes L’s when he's on the court. He’s made six straight NBA Finals, has three rings to his name, and has not been on a losing team since his rookie year. Sporting events that LeBron participates in almost always go his way.
But when the roles are reversed, and LeBron is a fan, the squads or individuals he's cheering for don't always emerge victorious. In fact, they lose a lot. And lately, a lot of the things he has been rooting for have crashed and burned at inopportune times. Just look at LeBron’s beloved Cowboys, who can never seem to catch a break in the playoffs.
For some reason, the LeBron James Curse has not drawn the attention of the Drake Curse. But after going through this list, you’ll realize how much of a bad luck charm LeBron James can be with one disclaimer: it's not a perfect curse and we're just having some fun at The King's expense.
That time LeBron wore a Yankees hat to an Indians games.
Game: 2007 ALDS, Game 1
Date: Oct. 4, 2007
Who LeBron was rooting for: Yankees
LeBron could do no wrong in Cleveland now. But that wasn’t always the case.
In 2007, when LeBron was just 22 and the city hadn’t won a championship since Jim Brown was playing for the Browns, he caused an uproar by rocking a Yankees cap to Jacobs Field for a Yankees-Indians ALDS game. LeBron has been a Yankees fan since he was a kid, and was lambasted by many for going against his hometown team—let alone crossing them for the Yankees. The Indians won 12-3 that night and eventually won the series, thus beginning the LeBron James Curse.
LeBron skips acorss the pond, checks out the pitch, sees a tie.
Game: Liverpool vs. Manchester United
Date: Oct. 15, 2011
Who LeBron was rooting for: Liverpool
LeBron became a minority shareholder in Liverpool FC of the English Premier League in April 2011, and decided to see them play in person a few months later during the NBA Lockout. The teams tied 1-1, meaning it was a high-scoring affair by soccer standards.
Game: Maple Leafs vs. Bruins
Date: Feb. 2, 2013
Who LeBron was rooting for: Not clear, but the Maple Leafs were the home team.
LeBron attended his first-ever hockey game while on a road trip to Toronto in 2013. The Maple Leafs fans probably won’t be clamoring to have him back, however, as the team was shut out in the one game LeBron went to.
When he was in the building to watch the Fish get fried.
Game: Marlins vs. Dodgers
Date: Aug. 21, 2013
Who LeBron was rooting for: Marlins
LeBron’s talents were in South Beach at a time where the Marlins had little talent at all. Miami was in the midst of a 100-loss season, and King James was on hand for one of those losses. It’s a good thing he’s not still in Miami to go to Marlins games, otherwise that team would still be losing 100 games routinely. As opposed to them only losing 90 games routinely without him in Miami.
Game: D-League Eastern Conference Finals, Game 1
Date: April 13, 2016
Who LeBron was rooting for: Canton Charge
The 2016 NBA playoffs were the apex of LeBron’s career. The 2016 D-League playoffs were not. LeBron went to a Canton Charge game, the Cavs’ D-League affiliate, only to see them lose. The Charge were swept in the best-of-three Eastern Conference Finals, as they were not able to capture the momentum that their parent team was able to have that year.
We all saw him during Game 7 of the World Seires.
Game: 2016 MLB Playoffs
Date: October and November, 2016
Who LeBron was rooting for: Indians
Yeah, LeBron has more favorite teams than Taylor Swift has ex-boyfriends.
Prior to the World Series, LeBron came out before Game 2 of the ALDS with many Cavs teammates and gave an impassioned speech to hype up the crowd. The Indians won that game against the Red Sox, but LeBron really should have sold high in the Tribe by not going to the World Series. But he didn’t.
He went back to Progressive Field for Game 2 of the World Series this year, which the Cubs won 5-1. So what did LeBron decide to do after obviously causing the Indians to lose Game 2? He shows up to Game 7. If he had any degree of self-awareness, he would have come there in a Cubs jersey—which he eventually was forced to do after losing a World Series bet with Dwyane Wade.
But he didn’t. He rooted for the Indians. And the Cubs won their first World Series since 1908. So there’s a pretty strong case to be made that LeBron was the Cubs’ MVP.
And it extends to politics.
Game: 2016 Presidential Election
Date: Nov. 6, 2016
Who LeBron was rooting for: Hillary Clinton
The LeBron Curse isn’t just limited to sports. The King made an entrance into politics this election cycle as he made an Ohio campaign stop with Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton just days before the election—which she was widely expected to win. But I guess we should have known that she wasn’t going to be President the second LeBron introduced the former Secretary of State as “President Hillary Clinton.”
So if, like millions of Americans, you're not thrilled with President Trump so far, feel free to blame LeBron.
Yeah, Ohio State won. But the next game...
Game: Ohio State vs. Michigan
Date: Nov. 26, 2016
Who LeBron was rooting for: Ohio State
So, LeBron James was on hand to see Ohio State beat its biggest rival in a dramatic overtime classic. That must mean the curse is over, right? Right?
Well, maybe not. After that game, Nike started making LeBron James Buckeyes jerseys, in a unique licensing deal with the apparel giant. And following that game, Ohio State lost 31-0 to eventual national champion Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal. It was the first time the Buckeyes were shut out since 1993, when LeBron James was 8 years old.
So is there a LeBron James Curse? Kind of, yeah. It's not foolproof, but there's enough evidence to support it. And it’s safe to say that LeBron’s fortunes as a fan are definitely not as good as his fortunes as one of the NBA’s all-time great players.