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One minute, LeBron James had a Super Bowl winner; the next, he was pleading the fifth to avoid fan backlash. James, the football fanboy that he is, still has his eyes on all things NFL, be it speaking on Bill Belichick’s snub from the Hall of Fame’s first ballot or picking his Super Bowl LX winner. However, one thing that caught everyone off guard was the swift change of pick by the Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar.

Terrell Owens holding Dude Wipes XL

After the recent win over the Golden State Warriors, James spoke to Lisa Salters of ESPN for an on-court post-game interview. The NBA legend wished everyone a “Happy Super Bowl Sunday” and was asked for his impromptu prediction for the big game.

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“Na, people are going to be mad at me if I pick a team,” James said.

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After being pressed to answer, the four-time NBA champion looked around before jokingly saying, “I got the winner.”

While James didn’t give a clear-cut answer, the real story was that he had previously picked a different winner only 12 hours earlier.

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“We all want to see a great Super Bowl, obviously, between two competitive teams, two well-coached teams, and they’re here for a reason. My prediction, I got Seattle coming out victorious,” James said in a collaboration video with DraftKings.

James credited QB Sam Darnold for leading the Seahawks to their fourth Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. He also acknowledged the role of coach Mike Vrabel, “Ohio’s own,” in guiding the Patriots to their 12th Super Bowl and first since Tom Brady left the team.

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Despite this feat, James reiterated his pick, saying, “But you know, I got Seattle, you know, winning the Super Bowl.”

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN revealed that Darnold is still limited heading into the weekend. However, despite not logging a full practice since January 15, Fowler confirmed the team is just being “really cautious” to make sure he doesn’t overexert himself in practice.

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Currently, the Seahawks are favored by -4.5 in the odds market. Maybe that’s why James didn’t double down on his pick but hinted that he’s “got the winner.”

LeBron James’ presence was felt at the last Super Bowl

LeBron James played wide receiver in high school. Most importantly, he was also named First-Team All-State during his sophomore year. There was also a point where he had to decide between basketball and football, and the rest is history. That choice proved to be the best one he ever made, leading to four NBA championships, countless records, and his current status as the league’s leading scorer.

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Not just basketball players, but other athletes honor James as well, including Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown last year.

Late in the second quarter, after finding the end zone, Brown pulled out James’ iconic “Silencer” celebration. It’s a classic James celebration, hands pushed downward, knees lifted one at a time, which was made famous back in 2014 when he was still running things with the Miami Heat.

In fact, James took to Instagram to approve Brown’s celebration. He posted a story of the Eagles star replicating it and wrote, “That Silencer was on point!!”

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Now that James has picked the Seahawks this year, let’s see if any Seattle player pulls out a similar celebration.

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Written by

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Pranav Kotai

2,691 Articles

Pranav Kotai is an editor at EssentiallySports, specializing in basketball coverage with a focus on trade dynamics and front-office decision-making. Having previously worked on the Trade Desk vertical, he brought clarity to how salary cap pressures and roster needs shape NBA transactions. His insightful coverage of the Philadelphia 76ers’ decision to hold firm on Joel Embiid amid trade speculation highlights how market context and team strategy influence major roster moves. Before joining EssentiallySports, Pranav holds experience of skills in professional writing, editorial work, and digital content creation. He holds a postgraduate diploma in digital media from a reputed institute, where he mastered the tools to create engaging and credible content across various platforms. Known for his attention to detail, proficiency in storytelling, and editorial expertise, Pranav combines deep basketball knowledge with sharp analytical abilities to deliver clear, insightful perspectives on the complexities of NBA trades and team management.

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Daniel D'Cruz

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