The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
MANILA, Philippines – Even in his 23rd NBA season, LeBron James remains one of the biggest draws in basketball.
That’s according to a data from ArenaPlus, the No. 1 PAGCOR-licensed sportsbook in the Philippines, which revealed the Los Angeles Lakers superstar was the most-backed player during the first two rounds of the NBA Playoffs.
The King, whose Lakers squad fell prey to Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals, accounted for 5.41 percent of the total bet count on players during that span.
Even more remarkable was the level of confidence placed in the 41-year-old superstar as 90 percent of bets on the four-time NBA champion projected him to outperform market expectations.
The numbers suggest that while a new generation of stars continues to rise across the league including Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama, Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, among others, Filipinos continue to place their trust in tried-and-tested cagers like James.
James’ popularity wasn’t the only thing that stood out. Three other Lakers — Rui Hachimura (2.50 percent), Marcus Smart (2.32), and Austin Reaves (2.14) — also cracked the Top 10 most-backed players, underscoring the franchise’s enduring appeal among basketball fans.
Also in the Top 10 list were Cade Cunningham (3.23), Wembanyama (2.97), James Harden (2.89), Donovan Mitchell (2.77), Anthony Edwards (2.44), and back-to-back MVP Gilgeous-Alexander (1.65).