Is LeBron James an Ohio State fan?
Yes. In his own words, LeBron James is an Ohio State Buckeyes fan.
LeBron James Full fan file: every team he roots for, with receipts
“Anyways S/O Urban and the boys on a job well done! #OH #GoBucks”
CBS Sports, November 25, 2017. Backed by Audacy (2022).
Last checked November 7, 2026: the quote still matched the page word for word.
What has LeBron James said about the Ohio State Buckeyes?
On November 25, 2017, the day Ohio State beat Michigan, James posted on Instagram and CBS Sports printed the caption: "Anyways S/O Urban and the boys on a job well done! #OH #GoBucks". The rest of the caption is a jab at the people who had hoped Ohio State would lose, and CBS Sports headlined the piece as James trolling Michigan fans after the win.
A second outlet points the same way. Audacy, on October 29, 2022, described "Ohio State and his hometown Cleveland Guardians" in connection with his rooting interests. Neither source says when the fandom started.
Does LeBron James have a connection to Ohio?
He does. LeBron James was born in Akron, Ohio, on December 30, 1984, and attended St. Vincent–St. Mary in Akron. The Cleveland Cavaliers took him first overall in the 2003 draft, and he played for them from 2003 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2018. Ohio State is in Columbus, and the Buckeyes' home city is the only place connection to the school itself; James did not attend college, so there is no playing tie to the program.
Did LeBron James grow up an Ohio State fan?
The sources don't say. The earlier of the two is his own Instagram post from November 2017, and neither gives a timeframe for when the fandom began. What is known is that he grew up in Akron and was a high school player in Ohio, which makes the state loyalty easy to place geographically, but nothing given says the fandom began in childhood or at any specific point.
How does his Ohio State fandom compare with his other teams?
Audacy pairs the Buckeyes with the Cleveland Guardians. His other listed allegiances run across several sports and cities: the Browns (in his words), the New York Yankees (reported), the Guardians (reported), the Dallas Cowboys (a team he used to follow), and the Los Angeles Dodgers (a background tie). Ohio State is the only college team in the group, and like the Browns it rests on his own words.
Questions people ask
Is LeBron James an Ohio State fan?
Yes. He posted "Anyways S/O Urban and the boys on a job well done! #OH #GoBucks" on Instagram in November 2017, and Audacy listed the school among his rooting interests in October 2022.
Does LeBron James like the Ohio State Buckeyes?
Yes. In the same post he gave "Urban and the boys" a shout-out for a job well done and tagged it #GoBucks. Nothing in the sourcing suggests the fandom has ended or is disputed.
When did LeBron James become an Ohio State fan?
No source gives a date or period for when it began. The coverage describes the fandom as ongoing, without a starting point.
Did LeBron James grow up an Ohio State fan?
That isn't stated. He was born and raised in Akron, Ohio, but no source says the fandom goes back to his childhood.