Did LeBron James give his 40,000th career point game ball to Chad Johnson? Closer look as former Bengal flexes on Nightcap show

LA Lakers superstar forward LeBron James made NBA history on Saturday, becoming the first player to score 40,000 career points. Two days later, former Cincinnati Bengals star Chad Johnson flexed that James gifted him the game ball from his special night. However, Johnson struggled to maintain his composure during the comical bit.

James’ monumental achievement occurred when he converted a driving layup with 10:41 remaining in the second quarter of Saturday’s home matchup against the Denver Nuggets. In a subsequent time out, he was presented with the game ball and a video tribute featuring the top moments of his illustrious 21-year career.

During his postgame interview, the 20-time All-Star touched on the significance of the record, highlighting how it was a dream come true. Nonetheless, Johnson did his best to convince fans that James sent him the game ball.

On the “Nightcap” show with his co-host and fellow retired NFL star, Shannon Sharpe, Johnson began recounting his fabricated story. According to the six-time Pro Bowler, before Saturday’s game, he tweeted at James asking for the game ball, and to his surprise, he obliged.

“Right here, this is the official ball, man,” Johnson said. “I want y’all to look at this. This is the official ball.

“I tweeted out, ‘What are the chances LeBron gives me the ball when he hits 40,000 points?’ Obviously, when you meet a milestone of that magnitude, that’s something that you keep dear to your heart. But with it being LeBron and all the accolades he’s achieved since 18, I guess he thought it was very important to give me the game ball.”

Johnson proceeded to talk about his plans to put the game ball on display at his house. He added that the four-time MVP even signed it for him.

However, Sharpe, an avid LeBron James fan, wasn’t buying what Johnson was selling. He instead quipped that Johnson bought the ball at the nearest sports shop.

“I just put your location in. It says there’s a Dick’s Sporting Goods about one mile from where you’re staying,” Sharpe said.

Afterward, Johnson humorously defended his story, displaying James’ “signature” as proof. However, upon turning the ball around and showing Sharpe the signature, which read “LeBron James 40k points,” the two lost their composure. They subsequently burst into a fit of laughter at the absurdity of Johnson’s story.

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Shannon Sharpe on why Chad Johnson’s alleged LeBron James 40,000th career point game ball is fake

After collecting himself, Shannon Sharpe provided a concrete reason why Chad Johnson’s alleged LeBron James 40,000th career point game ball is fake.

According to Sharpe, the ball wasn’t signed by someone left-handed, like James.

“This is how I know, because that ball right there, somebody who signed that ball signed it with their right hand. LeBron James is left-handed,” Sharpe said.

Afterward, Johnson did his best to keep a straight face while denying the assertion, with Sharpe quipping that he should get the ball authenticated immediately.

(2:04 mark below)

It’s unclear exactly where James put the game ball from his record-setting night. However, it seems safe to say that he didn’t gift it to Johnson.

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