LeBron and Doncic both send cease-and-desist to Bron AI betting app

LeBron James and Luka Dončić are teaming up off the court to fight a common enemy. According to the New York Post ^[1], both stars issued cease-and-desist letters to PlayVision Inc., the sports technology startup behind the AI betting app Bron AI.

James, now with the Philadelphia 76ers after leaving the Lakers in free agency this summer, is particularly vocal about the unauthorized use of his image. The ESPN reported ^[2] that an attorney, Lawrence Shire, sent a formal letter on James's behalf, demanding the company stop using his name, nickname, and likeness by Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

The controversy stems from a social media advertisement that went viral. The New York Post ^[1] noted the ad featured a person resembling James, wearing a No. 23 jersey with "Bron" on the back, flipping through the app. The post racked up more than 900,000 views on X/Twitter in under 24 hours before being pulled down.

The ESPN ^[2] detailed that the ad implied James was involved in betting on basketball, which Shire called a "very serious violation of NBA rules and regulations." James is in no way affiliated with Bron AI, according to his spokesperson.

Adam Mendelsohn, James’s longtime media advisor, told the New York Post ^[1] that the ad was "another example of the decline and lack of originality in sports media." He suggested the app might have been trying to generate buzz by forcing a response. "A lot of pundits do it too," Mendelsohn said. "I’m sure their intent all along was for us to send a cease and desist in order to play the social media game."

Dončić, the Slovenian sharpshooter, also had a cease-and-desist sent to PlayVision Inc. on his behalf, the New York Post ^[1] reported. The app’s ads featured several other NBA stars, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell, and Dillon Brooks.

James has an exclusive endorsement deal with Polymarket, a prediction market platform, according to the New York Post ^[1]. This exclusivity likely fueled the urgency to distance him from Bron AI, which aggregates data from traditional sportsbooks and prediction markets.

The New York Post ^[1] noted that James’s legal team believes such gimmicks don’t work long-term. "These gimmicks never work because people see through it," Mendelsohn told ESPN ^[2]. PlayVision Inc. did not immediately respond to requests for comment.