LeBron James wouldn’t pay to keep his blue check on Twitter so Elon Musk is doing it for him

Last month, LeBron tweeted “If you know me, I ain’t paying the 5 [dollars].”

Twitter CEO Elon Musk finally dropped the hammer and removed all verified checkmarks from accounts not registering for Twitter Blue.

Although many notable athletes lost their blue checkmarks, there was one player in particular whose still-verified account stood out following the purge on Thursday: Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.

Last month, LeBron tweeted “If you know me, I ain’t paying the 5 [dollars].”

Several other pro athletes, including Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, also said they would rather lose their checkmarks than subscribe to Twitter Blue.

But it didn’t take long to notice LeBron still has a verified account.

Did he think people wouldn’t notice? Or is it something even more petty than that?

It is entirely possible Twitter comped LeBron and Stephen King for the premium service after both said they would not subscribe to make it look like they changed their mind.

That theory is even more likely when recalling that the leaked Twitter algorithm gives a boost to LeBron’s account.

But whether he personally pays for it or not, using some light detective work from a Google Chrome plugin called Eight Dollars, we can confirm LeBron’s account is at least subscribed to Twitter Blue:

LeBron isn’t the only NBA player to still have a blue check.

Others include just Carmelo Anthony, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kristaps Porzingis, Klay Thompson, Brandon Clarke, Marc Gasol, Frank Kaminsky, RJ Hampton and Enes Freedom.

UPDATE: Per The Verge‘s Alex Heath, while Musk said he’s “paying for a few” Twitter Blue subscriptions: