LeBron James declined to meet WWE’s Undertaker at a Cavaliers event, possibly due to concerns about the commercial exploitation of his personal brand.
Following their 2016 NBA Finals victory, the Cleveland Cavaliers invited The Undertaker to a private meet-and-greet with the team, with an emphasis on King James. Dana Warrior accompanied him on this trip along with the undertaker and his wife.
Many of the Cavaliers greeted the wrestling great with open arms. Fans were disappointed that LeBron James ignored The Undertaker because they knew it would make The Undertaker feel disrespected and ashamed.
The Undertaker allegedly waited for close to an hour outside the locker room while dressed in his signature “Deadman” outfits. He took full advantage of the photo op with Kevin Love, even throwing on a WWE Championship replica for the occasion. The decision by LeBron James to avoid a meeting with The Undertaker stands. If so, why?
According to Joe Vardon, LeBron was unwilling to meet with The Undertaker because he “did not like the idea of somebody profiting or gaining recognition at his expense; in other words, no PR stunts that don’t benefit James.”
When did WWE superstar John Cena dare to take on LeBron James?
It’s very uncommon for NBA and WWE superstars to publicly show their support for one another and even issue challenges to one another. For instance, both Dennis Rodman and Shaquille O’Neal have competed in WWE matches. However, NBA superstar LeBron James was dealt a one-of-a-kind obstacle. LeBron was once the target of a public invitation from WWE star John Cena.
In the 2015 film Trainwreck, LeBron James and John Cena starred together. Cena, a 16-time WWE champion, jokingly challenged LeBron, also known as L-Train, to a WWE match during a promotion for the film.
It should be clear that this challenge was meant in jest. There has been no Cena vs. LeBron WWE bout. It was just another demonstration of Cena’s incredible microphone abilities, which he has developed for almost twenty years in the WWE.
Cena began by making light of LeBron by saying that his name sounded like “two first names.”All right, Mr. James,” he said with a wink. If that’s really your name, It sounds as if you could be using two different first names at once. In other words, seriously? Which fool names himself “LeBron James?”
In addition, Cena went on to detail what he would do in the event that LeBron accepted his dare and entered the WWE ring with him. Cena used his wit and knowledge of basketball jargon to issue a challenge to LeBron. He boldly offered that he would use LeBron’s face as a basketball and bounce it off the floor.
