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“It was Michael Jordan, not Mark Cuban, who inspired LeBron James to break out the cigars”: Lakers’ star adopted various things from Bulls’ GOAT’s lifestyle

Arun Sharma
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"it was Michael Jordan, not Mark Cuban, who inspired LeBron James to break out the cigars": Lakers' star adopted various things from Bulls' GOAT's lifestyle

LeBron James enjoys a lot of fine things in his life – some of those habits stem from emulating his idol Michael Jordan.

Two black icons – both inspirations to millions. LeBron James and Michael Jordan have done so much for the NBA community, but MJ was an inspiration while Bron was still but a child. Growing up in Akron, Ohio, LeBron watched MJ live on TV, and there were so many things that he wanted to do, “Like Mike“.

From his trademark moves to wearing certain accessories, LeBron did everything he could do to be just like his idol. Everyone knows why the Lakers man wears 23, but the four-time champion said on many occasions that he even wore a wristband, because MJ did so. Such was his dedication to emulating his idol.

Till 2012-13, LeBron James was ringless. He had made the finals in the season prior but never won a ring. After beating OKC in the 2012 finals, he finally did what Jordan did when he won – smoked cigars. Some say it was revenge on Mark Cuban who was photographed smoking one during their celebrations in 2011, but it was MJ who inspired him to do it.

Just like Jordan, the wait for a ring was long but fruitful. Since then, he won 3 more rings and smoked multiple more cigars.

Also Read: “Michael Jordan has spent between $550k to $940k on cigars!”: The Bulls legend has so much money to burn for his addiction that he spends $14-24 per cigar

LeBron James samples a lot of high-class liquors and cigars – truly a billionaire’s demeanor

One of the coldest photos from the 2020 Lakers championship win was LeBron smoking his cigar during the final press conference. It was one of his best photos in a while, being a close second with his dunk along with Dwyane Wade. A habit that is not necessarily a healthy one, but even Sherlock Holmes had a vice.

His love for all things class means that he has invested and owns some of the brands that make it to certain tables. His investment in Lobos 1707 shows exactly that. He’s also known to sample multiple brands of cigars during his boy’s night out – Chris Paul is one of his fellow smokers.

Jordan and James have done everything in their right to earn the money they rightly spend – they are icons of the game, and if they spend it on wine and cigars, who can deny it? After all, even Clint Eastwood made it look badass, and he inspired everyone else.

Also Read: “I will be one of the top 4 to ever play this game”: When a 29-year-old LeBron James predicted he would go down as one of the greatest “for sure”

About the author

Arun Sharma

Arun Sharma

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Arun Sharma is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. A double degree holder and a digital marketer by trade, Arun has always been a sports buff. He fell in love with the sport of basketball at a young age and has been a Lakers fan since 2006. What started as a Kobe Bryant obsession slowly turned into a lifelong connection with the purple and gold. Arun has been an ardent subscriber to the Mamba mentality and has shed tears for a celebrity death only once in his life. He believes January 26, 2020, was the turning point in the passage of time because Kobe was the glue holding things together. From just a Lakers bandwagoner to a basketball fanatic, Arun has spent 16 long years growing up along with the league. He thinks Stephen Curry has ruined basketball forever, and the mid-range game is a sight to behold. Sharma also has many opinions about football (not the American kind), F1, MotoGP, tennis, and cricket.

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