Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks took another shot at longtime rival LeBron James in a new Kalshi ad, bringing their NBA feud into the competition between prediction market operators.
- Kalshi and Polymarket are in an ongoing race to expand their foothold in the prediction market industry.
- James was announced as a Polymarket partner near the beginning of September.
- Brooks and James will meet for the first time this season on Dec. 30, James’ 42nd birthday.
Brooks has embraced his “Dillon the Villain” nickname, earned through his physical play and frequent confrontations with opponents, frequently taking shots at James on and off the court.
With the NBA season just underway, Brooks is playing the villain again - this time in a Kalshi commercial.
“Are you tired of hearing about the greatest basketball player of all time?” a television salesman version of Brooks asks. “Where he goes? What team is he playing for this season? What ridiculous new product is he endorsing?”
Thanks for inventing this, @Kalshi https://t.co/0yWhNRoYEz
— Dillon Brooks (@dillonbrooks24) October 20, 2026
The ad introduces the King Blocker 9000, a mock device designed to mute mentions of James and his nicknames, as another version of Brooks watches approvingly from a couch.
The campaign also appeared on digital billboards Tuesday in New York City, where James is currently living and made his season debut for his new team.
I pray I never have haters as devout to the cause as Dillon Brooks is to LeBron James. This is in NYC today, when LeBron is making his Sixers debut at MSG. It is an ad for a fake device called the “Kingblocker,” used mute LeBron and all of his nicknames on TV and social media. https://t.co/rcHdP1SVWG
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) October 20, 2026
The commercial never directly promotes Kalshi’s prediction markets or trading platforms, instead only labeling the King Blocker 9000 a Kalshi invention and displaying the company logo.
NBA feud meets Kalshi-Polymarket competition
Brooks’ rivalry with James isn’t of the same ilk as other great rivalries across basketball history, but that hasn’t stopped him from repeatedly leaning into his role in the feud. Earlier this year, Brooks attended a Los Angeles Lakers playoff game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who swept James' team out of the postseason.
Off the court, Brooks and James are rivals once again because of their prediction market affiliations. Brooks has teamed up with Kalshi in opposition to James, who was unveiled as a Polymarket representative in September. Their multi-year arrangement will reportedly pay about $15 million annually.
The marketing campaign comes as Kalshi and Polymarket compete for customers in the growing prediction market industry.
The NBA season is celebrating the first week of its regular season. As of Wednesday afternoon, Kalshi's NBA championship market priced the Thunder at approximately 24% and the San Antonio Spurs at 20%, followed by the Sixers at 11% and New York Knicks at 9%.
Polymarket also has the Thunder (23%) and Spurs (20%) as the established leaders, followed by the 76ers (11%) and Knicks (8%).
