LeBron James has been commuting from New York to Philadelphia 76ers practices and games. And he's been doing so by helicopter.
"Yeah, I've done it before," the 41-year-old James said, via ESPN's Kris Rhim, when asked about the arrangement after the Sixers' preseason finale on Friday.
"Just another way of transportation. Yeah, that's all."
LeBron James on his helicopter travel: “I’ve done it before, just another mode of transportation.” pic.twitter.com/0yLAr1Rr0N
— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) October 17, 2026
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While James spoke about his travel setup for the first time in the wake of a 125-120 overtime loss to the Boston Celtics, it's been a topic of conversation for a while. After all, he's one of the basketball greats, and he's playing in his NBA-record-extending 24th season.
Front Office Sports reported earlier this month that James flying back and forth from New York to Philly is part of his deal with Fanatics, a sports platform known for its apparel business. James has been using the company's aviation, a privilege afforded to him after he signed a multi-year trading card partnership with Fanatics in January 2024, according to the Oct. 5 FOS report.
James' travel time is more than halved when he flies by helicopter, compared to driving from New York to Philly. It's estimated to take him between 30 and 45 minutes.
"The deal we signed with Fanatics almost three years ago includes access to their corporate aviation," a spokesperson for James told FOS. "It's a feature in many of their deals with their largest athletes and we appreciate their partnership as LeBron splits his time between New York and Philadelphia."
Although James has promoted Fanatics for years through his partnership with the company, his helicopter perk has been stirring up conversation due to his current NBA situation.
After leaving the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency, James signed a team-friendly deal with the Sixers, more specifically a two-year contract reportedly worth only $8 million. Fanatics, notably, is owned by Michael Rubin, who sold his shares of Sixers ownership in 2022.
At this point, any perceived conflict of interest seems to be the result of conjecture, but investigative journalist Pablo Torre told FOS recently that he and his team were "looking into all of the ways that is both a good story as well as something that is of interest to the league."
He added: "And, by the way, it may not be the latter; it does appear to be the former as a business story."
Torre then released an episode of his show, “Pablo Torre Finds Out,” on Thursday addressing the subject. Torre dove into the details surrounding the Fanatics helicopter in question and noted that he had been told league sources have wondered whether Rubin convinced James to sign with the Sixers at Fanatics Fest in mid-July.
But Torre went on to say, "This is not me alleging this is cap circumvention; it is, though, me pointing out, this is pretty funny."
He continued: "It is a pretty funny series of apparent coincidences for a helicopter that lots of people have been asking questions about."
It's possible the hoopla is much ado about nothing. James' tone when answering the question about his helicopter rides on Friday certainly suggests he thinks so.
The Sixers' regular season begins on Tuesday in New York, as James and Co. will take on the defending NBA champion Knicks in Madison Square Garden.