LeBron James was one of the biggest attractions from the American contingent in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Although “King James” played alongside other NBA stars such as Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, the LA Lakers forward was arguably the team’s top crowd-drawer. Everywhere James and his teammates went, a crowd usually gathered to catch a glimpse of the basketball players.
Some people in Belgium apparently thought the four-time MVP had extended his stay in Europe. Wrestling star Bianca Belair shared on Instagram a hilarious episode that somehow involved “LeBron”:
“Just call him Le-Tez… In Belgium and we hear a lil boy yell ‘Lebron James’… we turn and look… he is now running and yells again in front of everyone ‘Lebron James’…. @montezfordwwe panics and then HE WAVES BACK,” Belair wrote in the caption.
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Montez Ford, the husband of Belair, is one of the most popular wrestlers in the WWE. Still, he is not on the same level of superstardom as the NBA player. To be mistaken for “King James,” had to be simultaneously hilarious and shocking.
The former women’s RAW champ continued:
“Now he is over here nervous that he is about to break this lil boy’s heart 🤣
“Like why would you wave back?!”
Ford responded that he didn’t want to interact with the young fan but “felt bad” for the kid if he didn’t acknowledge the shout. The “Street Profits” star added that he was so nervous the fans would approach them to ask for an autograph. He and his wife would end up disappointing them as Ford wasn’t going to pretend he was James anymore.
Montez Ford isn’t the only athlete fans mistakenly called LeBron James
Montez Ford isn’t the first and likely won’t be the last athlete fans mistake for LeBron James. Former heavyweight boxing champ Deontay Wilder had the same experience. While competing for Team USA in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the boxer had this to say in an interview with Yahoo Sports:
“I had to have security at the Olympics because they thought I was LeBron James. I had security guards who used to work for the government. They protected the president before. I had fun with it.
Unlike Montez Ford, Wilder made the most of the mistaken identity. He added that he heard the fans’ comments but refused to disappoint them. Instead, he lapped up the attention and recalled that time with fondness and hilarity.
James helped the “Redeem Team” win the gold in Beijing. Deontay Wilder, meanwhile, bagged the bronze in the heavyweight class. The two played different sports but some fans somehow thought the boxer was the basketball star.
