"All because of Jeanie Buss wrapping arms around him" - NBA fans clown LeBron James for getting dethroned by Lionel Messi in marketing realm

LA Lakers forward LeBron James and Inter Miami's striker Lionel Messi are two of the most recognizable and undoubtedly biggest stars in their sports. Due to their talent and their dominance over their peers, they have gained a massive global following that is difficult to top.

Despite the stars playing two different games, sports fans often compare the two, especially in conversations about who the greatest athlete of all time is.

This has become the case once again as Messi has reportedly passed LeBron as the most marketable athlete in the world. Comparing two players who play different sports is impossible in terms of talent, but this is likely a reflection of the popularity of soccer on a global scale especially when compared to the NBA or basketball in general.

Also read: Did LeBron James' peer claim he was using PEDs? Exploring viral claim about Lakers superstar

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Sports fans react to reports of Lionel Messi surpassing LeBron James as world's most marketable athlete

After it was reported that LeBron James has been overtaken by Lionel Messi in terms of which athlete is more marketable, sports fans couldn't help but share their opinions regarding the two.

Some clowned LeBron, with one fan going back to a recent controversy involving the LA Lakers superstar and team president and majority owner Jeannie Buss.

"All because of Jeannie Buss wrapping her arms around him, huh? Lol," the user posted.

And the jokes didn't stop there, as others made attempts at being funny at LeBron's expense.

"Lebron flops more than Messi. Think about that."

Meanwhile, other fans expressed that they were surprised that LeBron James was even ahead in the first place.

"Is this a headline from 15 years ago? Messi is bigger than all of NBA combined let alone Lebron."

Others were impressed at where LeBron is, considering that soccer is a much more popular sport globally.

"I didn’t even know Lebron was the most marketable in the world, I thought it was just us, that’s very impressive, congrats Messi though he has connections with everyone in the world so."

While there will never be a way to compare the talents of Lionel Messi and LeBron James due to them playing different sports, seeing them both on the top of the list of most marketable athletes should give young fans an idea of just how popular they are.

They both started at a young age and have since collected plenty of individual awards and accolades. Both have also seen success on multiple levels, including international competition. Additionally, both remain among the best players in their games despite being already advanced in age.