LeBron James Officially Leaves Coca-Cola After 18 Years & Signs With Pepsi

LeBron James leaves Coca-Cola after 18 years to sign with Pepsi, becoming the face of their latest energy drink line.

Source: Douglas P. DeFelice / Getty

LeBron James has always been a force off the court that’s just as impactful as he is on the court. Over the course of his time in the league, he has been laser-focused on his business as he is his health. From his billion-dollar Nike deal to his partnership with the Calm app, every move LeBron makes is more than just money to him–it’s something he believes in, as well.

According to CNBC, LeBron is exiting one of his oldest and first business deals, leaving Coca-Cola to head over to PepsiCo.

PepsiCo, with an assist from NBA superstar LeBron James, is hoping to win over coffee drinkers with a new line of energy drinks under its Mountain Dew brand by touting its taste and ability to invigorate consumers.

Mtn Dew Rise Energy contains roughly the same amount of caffeine in one can as two cups of coffee. Every 16-ounce can also includes vitamins A and C and zinc to support the immune system. Its ingredients also include citicoline, which is often used in supplements that claim to boost memory. Pepsi has been leaning into functional beverages, like Driftwell, which is meant to help consumers sleep.

The move will be sure to bring attention to all of the new Moutain Dew products and Pepsi has plans to have more influencers and celebrities alongside James in the push to dominate the energy drink space. We expect LeBron to knock this out of the park and leave Coca-Cola wondering why they ever let him leave to join their competition.

The news comes as LeBron broke yet another historic feat this week. The Lakers Legend is now a partner in Fenway Sports Group making him a part-owner of the Boston Red Sox and the first Black person to partner with the company in history. LeBron and his friend and longtime business partner Maverick Carter are said to have negotiated the deal for an undisclosed amount of ownership shares of FSG.