Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James may belong to the old guard of NBA legends, but he has adapted well to the new age of television and social media throughout his 22-year career so far.
James has amassed one of the largest followings of any athlete across sports and for good reason as he’s been at the top of his game since entering the league in 2003. With his success on the basketball court came countless fans flocking to his social media accounts and following him for content that he has gladly delivered on.
While the 40-year-old is immensely popular, he isn’t the only one on the Lakers with plenty of followers. For example, his co-star Luka Doncic and his son Bronny James have their own large social media followings though for different reasons. Doncic, like LeBron, earned his fans through his wins and accolades on the court while Bronny has been a public figure for years due to his relationship with LeBron.
Although the Conference Finals features young stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton, none of them appear on the top-25 list for most social media followers. Instead, LeBron, Doncic and Bronny find themselves on the leaderboards instead, via Lev Akabas of Sportico:
Incredible fact: 0 of the top 25 most-followed NBA players on Instagram are in the Conference Finals pic.twitter.com/ENge5rJDRV
— Lev Akabas (@LevAkabas) May 21, 2025
The combination of LeBron and Doncic’s stardom plus the Los Angeles market makes them no-brainers to be among the most followed NBA athletes, while Bronny has his own set of fans dating back to his time in high school and college at Sierra Canyon and USC, respectively. LeBron and Doncic are constantly shown on social media highlights and it wasn’t surprising to see them named as two of the most-viewed NBA players on social media during the 2024-25 season.
The other players on the list include Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving and Lonzo Ball. It’s not too shocking to see guards ranked so highly, though players like Westbrook and Ball are certainly interesting inclusions.
Playing for the Lakers comes with its perks and an increased social media following is surely one of them.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins 2024-25 Kia NBA MVP, LeBron James finishes sixth in MVP voting
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named the 2024-25 Kia NBA MVP, while Lakers star LeBron James finished sixth in voting. Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic was the runner-up.
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