LeBron James uses Fanatics' helicopter service under trading-card partnership

LeBron James is traveling between New York City and Philadelphia by helicopter as part of a broader agreement with sports-merchandise company Fanatics. The NBA forward signed a multiyear trading-card partnership with Fanatics in January 2024, and the contract reportedly includes access to the company's corporate aviation fleet.

"The deal we signed with Fanatics almost three years ago includes access to their corporate aviation," a spokesperson for James told Front Office Sports. "It’s a feature in many of their deals with their largest athletes and we appreciate their partnership as LeBron splits his time between New York and Philadelphia."

Flight logs show the Fanatics-branded helicopter made about a dozen round-trips in the past week, cutting travel time from the typical 90-minute to two-hour drive to roughly 30 minutes each way. The cost of a one-way helicopter flight between the two cities ranges from $4,000 to $10,000, though the exact value of the aviation component in James' agreement has not been disclosed.

James, who signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers in July, will earn $3.87 million for the current season, the lowest salary of his 24-year career.