Not many Liverpool fans will ever speak effusively about Manchester United and LeBron James is clearly no different, as he ribbed an NBA journalist for wearing a United jacket while interviewing him.
Mike Trudell was wearing the Red Devils number as he spoke to one of basketball’s all-time greats courtside earlier this week, but Liverpool part-owner James made it clear that he wasn’t a fan. “That’s a horrible jacket by the way,” James said. “Oh my God, that is a horrible jacket!” James then proceeded to pretend to rip the jacket off Trudell, who laughed along with the Los Angeles Lakers great.
James owns a two per cent stake in Liverpool having invested $6.5 million in the Anfield club as part of a marketing deal with FSG in 2011. That two per cent stake would now be worth $107 million judging off Forbes’ most recent valuation of the club, which came in at $5.37 billion.
James has spoken about Liverpool on a number of occasions since investing in the club, initially saying in 2011: “I’ve always wanted to be involved in soccer. I’m a huge fan of the game and I’m proud to be a part of the Liverpool Football Club. It’s a historic and world-renowned club, and it’s a privilege to be involved.”
He visited Anfield a short while later, and said on X that it had been “one of the single best experiences of my life.” Asked to expand on his trip, he said: “That came from the simple fact of how passionate and loyal those fans are. But to walk through the facility the day before – to see all the history and achievements was very powerful. Liverpool have won 18 league championships and it meant a lot to read about King Kenny and Steven Gerrard – a hometown kid who now captains the team.
“And then to be at Anfield and see 40,000 fans screaming at the top of their lungs, the whole game was an unbelievable experience for me. King Kenny is something else. His accent is very strong. So it was very difficult to understand what he was saying – but it was great being around him and (Luis) Suarez and Gerrard and Dirk (Kuyt) and those guys. I was very humbled that they knew me.
“Any time you have so much history and so much power behind their story, there is great potential to continue that expansion. Liverpool are definitely one of those clubs. They really are like Man U – and the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Yankees. There are some teams and logos you see, no matter where you are in the world, and you know exactly who they are and what they mean. I see Liverpool in that group.”
James routinely reacts to goings-on at Liverpool on social media, congratulating the club on trophy wins and sending messages to players and staff.
Following Jurgen Klopp’s exit last year, James wrote: “THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING AND MORE!! You are one helluva manager and you’ll never be forgotten and more importantly YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE!! The Reds will miss you!!”
