LOS ANGELES: Digital sports platform Fanatics and NBA superstar LeBron James Wednesday announced a new, exclusive multi-year trading card partnership that will see the National Basketball Association legend join Fanatics Collectibles, the company’s trading card and collectibles division.
James is making the switch to Fanatics after an association of more than 20 years with rival Upper Deck.
In conjunction with the partnership announcement, a unique card featuring James will be included in the 2023-24 Bowman University Chrome Basketball set, slated to hit retail Jan. 19. The card is an on-card dual autograph 1/1 alongside his son, Bronny James. James appears in his high school uniform of St. Vincent-St. Mary’s (Akron, Ohio) while James Jr. is in his USC Trojans jersey. All-Americans Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers will also be included in the 100-player set.
“As someone who appreciates all the moments – big and small – along the journey, I’m excited to share more with my fans through this partnership with Fanatics,” said James. “In sports there is so much greatness to celebrate and I’ve always been one to take a moment to recognize that in athletes at the top of their games. It’s all about celebrating the journey and enjoying those moments, with many more to come.”
“We are both thrilled and honored to have LeBron join the Fanatics family,” said Fanatics Collectibles CEO Mike Mahan. “Our goal is to push the envelope of where the hobby can go and are excited about how our collaboration with one of the best athletes in the world will continue to ignite fan and collector passion.”
