Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is one of the greatest and most popular athletes in the world today. Being under a major microscope around the globe for basically this entire century, there are many top athletes both domestically and internationally who have grown up watching and idolizing LeBron.
While the NBA season is already in full swing, the first major tennis tournament of the year is set to kick off soon with the Australian Open officially beginning on Jan. 18. One of the favorites to take home this year’s tournament is Spanish ace Carlos Alcaraz, the top-ranked player in the world.
The Australian Open is the one Grand Slam Alcaraz has yet to win, however, but he is hoping that changes this year. And as he prepares to make a run in 2026, Alcaraz was sporting a James Lakers jersey during practice leading up to the start of the tournament, via the Australian Open:
Game recognises game 🤝@carlosalcaraz reppin' @KingJames in practice 💜#AO26 pic.twitter.com/QQ0fdsHx2N
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 12, 2026
Like, James, Alcaraz is a true prodigy in the tennis world. The Spanish star is only 22 years old and was born just five months before LeBron made his NBA debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2003. He made his professional debut at just 14 years old and has already won six major championships over the last three years.
The Australian Open has been the one that has eluded Alcaraz, however, as he has never made it past the quarterfinals of this tournament. Meanwhile, his top rival, Italian star Jannik Sinner, who is also just 24 years old, has taken home the crown in each of the last two years and will try to make it a three-peat.
Adversity is what takes athletes from great to legendary. It took LeBron until his ninth season to win his first NBA Championship with the Miami Heat and he would then go back home to Cleveland to give that city its first major sports championship in 52 years. And the pressure to bring another championship to the Lakers with this franchise’s history was immense as well, but he did just that in 2020.
Now Alcaraz will be hoping to channel his inner James and succeed in winning his first ever Australian Open championship and continue hie meteoric rise as one of the tennis greats.
Lakers’ LeBron James to wear special 23rd season jersey patch
James is the first player in NBA history to play 23 NBA seasons and in order to commemorate this historic achievement, the Lakers superstar will wear a special-edition 23rd season jersey patch beginning with the Jan. 12 contest against the Sacramento Kings.
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