The wins keep coming for Travis Kelce.
Even NBA superstar LeBron James has noticed the NFL star’s rising fame amid his romance with singer Taylor Swift.
During Thursday Night Football’s matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos, James, 38, was asked about Kelce, 34, while appearing on The Shop with co-hosts Maverick Carter and Paul Rivera.
Broadcaster Charissa Thompson asked, “LeBron, I never thought I’d see the day when you aren’t the most famous athlete from Northeast Ohio. How does it feel?”
Laughing, the Lakers star replied, “Listen, sometimes you’ve gotta give the crown up to the next one.”
James then praised Kelce and acknowledged the powerful reach of Swift’s fans, also known as Swifties. “What Trav has got going on right now, and the Swifties, I think I’m gonna give the crown to him right now,” James said. “He deserves it right now.”
Kelce grew up in Cleveland Heights, approximately an hour by car from James’ hometown of Akron, Ohio.
Kelce’s shoutout from the NBA’s all-time leading scorer comes shortly after James called out the Chiefs star and his brother, Jason Kelce, to lovingly gripe about wanting an invite to appear on their popular podcast, New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce, presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment.
James tagged the podcast’s X handle and wrote, “Crazy I can’t get a invite to join yall fantastic show!”
The basketball player jokingly asked, “Is it because you guys are truly the Kings of NE Ohio and I claim to be? Be honest,” adding a handful of emojis. James added, “Seriously you guys are AWESOME!!”
The New Heights account quickly replied to James’ message in a quote tweet and said the four-time NBA champion has an “open invite anytime” to be a guest on the show.
One X user joked that James may be “using” the NFL brothers “for clout” as the show gains listeners amid Travis’ romance with Taylor Swift — and the podcast’s X account had a quick reply.
“Are we about to put LeBron James on the map?,” the account replied, referencing the viral trend where women try to convince male football fans that Swift put Kelce “on the map” over the last month.
Earlier this month, a source told PEOPLE that Travis and Swift are “still just getting to know each other” and it’s “nothing too serious.”
An insider added that the pair hadn’t yet defined their relationship, saying, “He is a charming guy. It’s more of a hanging out situation than dating.”
Though Travis is spending time with Swift, “he’s focusing on football like he always has,” the source said. “During the NFL season, his priority is the Chiefs, and it’s all about the team.”
