{
  "id": 12646455,
  "title": "LeBron James’ helicopter trips are sketchy benefits outside of his Sixers contract",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/lebron-james-helicopter-trips-are-sketchy-benefits-outside-of-his",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-07T14:32:58.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "SB Nation",
    "slug": "sb-nation",
    "url": "https://www.sbnation.com/nba/1131519/lebron-james-helicopter-trips-new-york-philly-sixers"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "LeBron James has chosen to live in New York for the 2026-27 NBA season, commuting to Philadelphia for Sixers games and practices. This decision has raised eyebrows due to the extensive use of helicopters for his travel, which has become a topic of controversy. It is reported that James has taken up to 12 helicopter trips in a single week, with each one-way trip costing around $4,645. This means that in just one week, he could have spent over $55,000 on these flights alone. If we consider he could take six trips per week during the regular season, his benefit from these helicopter rides could amount to $668,000. Fanatics, the company James signed an endorsement deal with in 2024, is defending its actions, stating that James has access to corporate aviation as per the terms of his deal. However, this practice seems to raise concerns when compared to the $28 million that Kawhi Leonard was paid under the table by the Clippers' sponsors. Moreover, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, who sold his stake in the Sixers in 2022, remains very close to the organization. This closeness, coupled with the numerous photos of him at Sixers games, adds another layer of scrutiny to the situation. While it might not be against the NBA CBA to have such agreements, the whole situation appears to be quite questionable.",
  "summary": "LeBron James decided to suit up for the 76ers this season, but that sure doesn’t mean he wants to live in Philadelphia. In fact, he’s going to extraordinary lengths to avoid being there any longer than necessary. News emerged this last week that LeBron has decided to live in New York for the 2026-27 season, […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "‘There was only one…’ Colin Cowherd points out health reason why LeBron James chose Philadelphia",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/there-was-only-one-colin-cowherd-points-out-health-reason-why-lebron",
        "published": "2026-10-07T10:15:29.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}