NBA fans around the world expected the 2026-2027 season to be nothing short of interesting, as several big names landed new homes in the offseason, including LeBron James. After a closely watched couple of weeks during this summer, when it was a literal guessing game about where King James would likely finish out his career, he revealed the biggest shock of free agency: he was taking his talents to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Fast forward to October 20, the official start of the new NBA season, and before any games are even played, the Phoenix Suns’ Dillon Brooks has partnered with prediction market platform Kalshi to take a dig at James. In the following now-viral video, Dillon is seen advertising the “King Blocker,” a device that helps those uninterested in hearing about the ins and outs of James. While the parody never utters James’ name, it’s very clear the video is about him. Take a look at the clip below:
Dillon Brooks really just dropped an ad to troll LeBron 😭 pic.twitter.com/JDJ53NzKLR
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) October 20, 2026
And if the video wasn’t bad enough, ahead of the 76ers facing off against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 20, Kalshi placed billboard photos of the ad in the Big Apple.
Why Doesn’t Dillon Brooks Like LeBron James?
It’s hard to call Brooks and James rivals. Brooks was drafted into the league in 2017, whereas James was a part of that legendary 2003 class. Plus, in terms of players that James has had to face off against the most to get to a championship, Steph Curry and Draymond Green stood in his way more often than not, and he’s on great terms with both Warriors players.
Brooks and James’ beef really stems from on-court moments. During James’ time with LA, he and Brooks had several dust-ups on the court out West, culminating in hard fouls, harsh stares, and your run-of-the-mill trash talk. Although, it’s also worth pointing out that Brooks tends to love taking digs at James in post-game press conferences. So, put in that perspective, Brooks doing the Kalshi ad kind of tracks.
Why Does Kalshi Have Beef with LeBron James?
Put shortly, there doesn’t seem to be a beef necessarily between Kalshi and James. The arguable GOAT really just has a branding deal with Kalshi’s direct competitor, Polymarket. Plus, Kalshi heavily favored James to go to the Miami Heat in the offseason (as did I), so when he opted for Philadelphia, all Kalshi could say was “wow” like the rest of us.
Have Dillon Brooks and Kalshi Gone Too Far?
Personally speaking, I think the ad was done in jest and for laughs. However, it does ring a bit odd that Brooks and Kalshi would invest the time and money into this ad and subsequent billboards, considering Brooks plays for Phoenix and isn’t from New York. Plus, I don’t tend to believe LeBron considers Brooks to be his biggest rival, or enough of a rival to irritate him, so the ad may just be wasted. But hey, what do you think?
Related: Ben Stiller’s ‘Focker-In-Law’ Promo with Knicks OG Anunoby Is Hilarious for One Reason
