LeBron James Says NBA Ballboy’s ‘Jesus Loves You’ Message Moved Him
A simple gospel-centered gesture by an NBA ballboy has inspired one of the league’s superstars.
Fans noticed over the weekend that Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James shared a photo on his Instagram story of a small red card containing a Bible verse after his team’s game in Portland. The card, which he held in his hand, read: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.”
The post seemed out of character for the NBA legend, so Law Murray of The Athletic asked James about it. James has 157 million followers on Instagram.
LeBron posted Isaiah 41:10 in Portland
— Law Murray 🐐 (@LawMurrayTheNU) January 21, 2026
And I'm used to seeing Bron post a lot of things, but not Bible verses
So I asked him about it pic.twitter.com/8PZGO0N85H
“A Portland ballboy gave it to me after the game. He said, ‘Jesus loves you,’ and obviously He does,” James told Murray and other reporters.
James said the verse impacted him.
“I thought that was a great quote. When I looked at it, I read it – it just spoke to me. So I posted it [on Instagram] – [number] one because the guy was grateful enough and gracious enough to give it to me.”
The verse, James added, was inspiring, calling the message “great.”
“That was a pretty cool moment, just to have that insight.”
Ballboys assist NBA teams during games by retrieving basketballs, keeping the court dry, and handling other on-court tasks.
James rarely discusses his own personal faith – on or off social media.
In 2015, he was asked if his team – then the Cleveland Cavaliers – would improve when two injured players returned, and James surprised media members by saying, “I hope we don’t think that way. It’s never that way. When you get your guys back, you prepare just as you prepare before. There’s only one guy ever in the world that everything will be all right when He comes back, and that’s Jesus Christ. Other than that, you can’t bank on nobody being OK.”
Later that same season, he again referenced his faith when the Cavaliers won the NBA championship by rallying from a 3-to-1 series deficit with three straight victories against Golden State.
“I don’t know why we want to take the hardest road. I don’t know why the Man above gives me the hardest road, but … the Man above don’t put you in situations that you can’t handle. And I just kept that same positive attitude, like, instead of saying, ‘Why me?,’ just saying, ‘This is what He wants me to do,’” he said then.
Now, thanks to the simple act of faith of a single ballboy, James shared Scripture with millions of followers.
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Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Kevin C. Cox/Staff
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published January 22, 2026.
