No one in the Prime Fam could’ve imagined that Shedeur Sanders, their second-youngest member, would end up at 144. Oh, that’s his draft number, and it sent shockwaves in the sports world earlier this year. The supposed top prospect in the States surely didn’t have his dreams come true. But the Cleveland Browns gave him a home. And on Friday, he debuted. The much-awaited moment rolled on as the 23yo moved past his hiccup. LeBron James clapped, and so did Shaquille O’Neal and others.

Now, on Aug 8, as the NFL preseason kicked in, the Browns faced the Carolina Panthers at the Bank of America Stadium. As expected, Shedeur had all eyes on him. Sanders shook off a shaky first quarter to light up the field. He went 11-of-18 for 103 yards, firing two touchdowns to Kaden Davis. By his second pass in the next quarter, Davis had scored, and the Browns were strutting with the lead.

Well, LeBron James was the first one to congratulate the 23-year-old’s first game as a pro. He tweeted: “That young 🤴🏾 looking good out there! @ShedeurSanders Keep going UP!!! HEAD down on the grind and HEAD high to the most high 🙌🏾🫡”  Maybe it was the experiences he went through after Bronny’s 55th draft pick situation last season, that he immediately became empathetic with Sanders.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers legend, Shaquille O’Neal, also chimed in. Instead of dropping direct strong words for Shedeur, he went with more emotions. Thus sharing an IG Reel on his story, the Big Shamrock said: “❤️I’m a Dad, not a perfect man. I mess up, I fall short. But I’d give my life for my kids without hesitation.” And before that, Shaq shared another Story with a clip of Sanders’ first NFL touchdown.

Most importantly, Bron and O’Neal weren’t the only ones who applauded for the Browns’ rookie. Well, you see, the amount of backlash Sanders faced after the 2025 NFL Draft only made sense that the sports world came together for him. And yes, that’s exactly what happened for the newbie QB. The NBA stars became his greatest support.

Other NBA stars join Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James in commending Shedeur Sanders on his NFL debut

For every critic Shedeur Sanders faces, a LeBron James stands ready to back him. Once tipped as a first-rounder, he slid to the fifth for reasons beyond his talent. With his father’s NFL legend casting a long shadow, Sanders enters the league as its most dissected and daring rookie. Therefore, even the Philadelphia Eagles supporter, Karl-Anthony Towns, couldn’t resist. He took to his IG Story and shared an image of Shedeur in his gear with his first game stats. And his caption said: “💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽.” Meanwhile, Gilbert Arenas reshared a Threads post with Sanders’ halftime stats on his IG Story. Arenas’ caption read: “let’s goooooo 🔥🔥.” 

From pick 144 to stealing the spotlight, Shedeur Sanders turned his debut into a statement. The critics stayed loud, but the applause roared louder, echoing from LeBron to Shaq and beyond. Stars crossed leagues to crown the rookie’s moment. The support felt like a shield against every doubt. And with each pass, Sanders wrote himself deeper into the night’s story. Just like that, the NFL had its newest headline.