“Congrats to my brother @KingJames on winning his 4th championship. Not bad for a washed up old guy,” Brady tweeted on Monday afternoon, sharing a picture of James in a Bucs jersey. According to ESPN, the photo that Brady shared is photoshopped. ESPN also explained that the quarterback was poking fun at himself for losing track of which down the team was on during Thursday night’s NFL game against the Chicago Bears.
The Lakers forward responded graciously. “Hahaha!! My brother Thank You!!! Not so bad for the washed up King,” he tweeted on Tuesday.
Brady wasn’t the only notable figure to offer James congratulations. Former President Barack Obama also tweeted a kind message to James following the victory. “Proud of my friend @KingJames for his fourth title, fourth Finals MVP, and for not only living up to the hype after seventeen seasons, but surpassing it as an extraordinary leader both on the court and in the public arena fighting for education, social justice, and our democracy,” Obama wrote.
James responded that he “Truly appreciate[d] [their] friendship.”
James led the Lakers to a 106-93 victory against the Miami Heat on Sunday night to clinch the title for 2020 champions. The victory marked an important and touching moment in the season, as the win comes months after former Lakers guard Kobe Bryant died unexpectedly in April. As previously reported, the team paid tribute to Bryant and his daughter Gianna by donning commemorative “Black Mamba” jerseys during playoff and championship games.
As Obama mentioned, the victory marks James’ fourth championship title (he’d previously won with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013, and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016). It marks the Lakers’ seventeenth championship win, with the previous title being won a decade ago in 2010.
James tweeted that the championship title hadn’t really set in until nearly a day after the team won, when he tweeted late on Monday night. “It just now hit me,” the forward wrote.
Klutch Sports Group, which is led by James’ agent, did not respond to Newsweek’s emailed request for comment in time for publication. Yee & Dubin, who represent Tom Brady, did not respond to Newsweek’s emailed request for comment in time for publication.
