Adam Silver is totally fine with LeBron James’ helicopter use, as long as the Philadelphia 76ers aren’t paying for it.
Silver said on Tuesday ahead of the NBA’s opening day slate, that James using a helicopter to commute from New York to Philadelphia regularly is “perfectly appropriate.”
“He has a deal with Fanatics,” Silver said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday. “It’s perfectly appropriate if part of his deal is they’re gonna supply a helicopter to him as long as it’s just a deal between the Fanatics and LeBron and no team is involved. There’s no rules issue there whatsoever.”
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James signed a deal to join the 76ers this past offseason, and he will start his record 24th season in the NBA on Tuesday when they take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. But instead of finding a place to live in the Philadelphia area, James is instead living in New York and flying back and forth via helicopter.
That helicopter travel is part of James’ deal with Fanatics, a sports platform known for its apparel business. James has been using their aviation after he signed a multi-year trading card partnership with the company in January 2024.
James described the trip, which is estimated to take between 30 to 45 minutes, as “just another way of transportation.”
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But the perk has drawn plenty of questions in the lead up to the 2026-27 season. James signed a very team-friendly deal with the 76ers — his two-year deal is only worth about $8 million — and Fanatics owner Michael Rubin was once a minority owner of the 76ers. Rubin sold his shares in 2022.
It’s even drawn the attention of investigative journalist Pablo Torre, who told Front Office Sports recently that his team was “looking into all of the ways that this is both a good story as well as something that is of interest to the league.” Torre, of course, broke the Kawhi Leonard-Clippers salary cap circumvention scandal.
But for James, the helicopter usage is simply just another part of his deal with Fanatics.
“The deal we signed with Fanatics almost three years ago includes access to their corporate aviation,” a spokesperson for James said earlier this month. “It’s a feature in many of their deals with their largest athletes and we appreciate their partnership as LeBron splits his time between New York and Philadelphia.”
With Silver not bothered by the helicopter usage, and the 76ers not funding it, James is sure to keep flying back and forth throughout the season. Any conceived scandal here, those two clearly believe, is simply conjecture.