LeBron James has formally joined the ranks of YouTube golfers. At 41 years old, the bound-for-glory basketball legend is the most recent professional sportsman to catch the golf bug, and he is approaching this fresh obsession with total dedication.
On several occasions, James has mentioned his habit of consuming golf content on YouTube, having even made a guest appearance on the Bob Does Sports channel earlier this year. This experience seemingly inspired him to start his own platform to log his progress, debuting his inaugural video on Saturday morning—a 3-on-3 scramble featuring several members of his 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers championship roster filmed in Scotland.
The initial portion of the upload features James joining forces with Richard Jefferson and Kevin Love to challenge J.R. Smith, Channing Frye, and Tristan Thompson—the latter of whom had obviously never swung a club before this getaway. After wet weather cuts their first day short, only James, Smith, and Frye venture back out onto the course the following morning.
The footage offers a fascinating peek into a getaway shared by six world-famous figures, showing that their group dynamic is no different from any typical friends’ golf weekend. The outing is packed with friendly ribbing, flowing drinks, and a wide spectrum of shot quality. Smith emerges as the premier golfer of the bunch, though he struggles to accept praise from his less-skilled companions and remains highly self-critical.
Meanwhile, James and Love are the developing players who lack polished skills but show an obvious desire to improve, visibly frustrated by their mishits. Frye turns out to be the surprise standout of the day, sinking putts left and right while jokingly teasing LeBron by echoing his famous “Cleveland, this is for you!” exclamation.
Amid the gameplay, the video captures an authentic, heartfelt discussion regarding the difficulties of stepping away from professional sports and the struggle to move past that athletic identity, during which Smith and Jefferson confess they are still grappling with the transition.
The highlight of the upload is undoubtedly the natural camaraderie and joking among the group—a staple of popular golf channels. The ultimate success of LeBron’s digital endeavor will likely hinge on his ability to foster this same genuine chemistry with other playing partners as effectively as he does with his former teammates and close companions.
Moving forward, James intends to upload a new video on a monthly basis, charting his unfolding passion for the sport.
