Los Angeles Lakers superstar and Cleveland native LeBron James shows he still has an eye out for his hometown teams on this NFL Sunday.
The Cleveland Browns faced off against the NFC powerhouse San Francisco 49ers. A challenging assignment for rookie QB Shedeur Sanders, facing off against coordinator Robert Salah’s aggressive 49ers defense. Overall, the Browns got shut down by the 9-4 Niners by a score of 26-8.
Sanders, however, had one exciting moment early in the second quarter that got “King” James to take to the social media platform X to offer his support and praise. This is bound to be an exciting moment to earn the praise of one of the NBA’s greats.
LeBron James Sends Positive Message to Browns Rookie Shedeur Sanders Despite Loss
Clearly, James is keeping a keen eye on the Browns quarterback, earning his praise for an impressive read and touchdown. James wrote a seven-word message that speaks volumes: “Helluva read and pass 12! Keep going!” With a watch emoji indicating the perfect timing on the throw. A nice touch for the iconic veteran superstar to offer his support to a rookie finding his feet in the NFL.
Helluva read and pass 12! Keep going! ⌚️
— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 30, 2025
Although the Browns lost comfortably, Sanders flashed his undoubted exciting potential, standing tall in the pocket, surveying his progressions, and throwing a perfect dart for tight end Harold Fannin Jr. down the left sideline, who charged through corner Renardo Green and into the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown. It was a caliber of throw that defies the fact that 143 players were taken ahead of Sanders in the NFL draft.
Sanders battled gamely throughout, going 16-25 for 149 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. He was sacked three times in the loss that has the Browns fallen to 3-9 this season. Overall, though, a step forward for the young quarterback.
Shedeur Sanders throws a 34-yard touchdown to Harold Fannin Jr.!
SFvsCLE on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/V1WTdsoLm2
— NFL (@NFL) November 30, 2025
Ever since the 2025 draft process, Sanders has been a lightning rod in the NFL due to multiple reports of a lack of preparation for his draft visits. This essentially tanked his stock, and Sanders went from a locked-in first-round selection to being passed up by all QB-needy teams, including the Browns, who took fellow QB Dillon Gabriel ahead of him, until the 5th round, where they speculatively selected him at 144.
Starting as the fourth QB on the roster at camp, he had climbed to the top of the quarterback depth chart by midseason. His talent has begun to shine through since being given the starting QB nod, earning a win against the Las Vegas Raiders. Perhaps, he may be proving his doubters wrong.
As for James, he will be out for the Lakers’ next game against the New Orleans Pelicans. The high-flying (14-4) Lakers take on bottom-dwellers New Orleans Pelicans (3-17) on Sunday night’s NBA action.