LeBron James’ growing golf obsession has at least one high-profile supporter on the PGA Tour, Sam Burns.
Burns spoke with TMZ Sports at a golf event in St. Louis on Aug. 18 and welcomed the NBA star’s increasingly public move into the sport. Burns said James’ enormous reach could help introduce the game to people around the world.
The five-time PGA Tour winner was equally enthusiastic when asked whether he would personally tee it up with James. “Oh, yeah. I’d love to!” Burns said. No round between the two athletes has been announced.
Burns’ comments arrive days after James launched a new golf-focused chapter on YouTube with a 96-minute video documenting a reunion trip to Scotland with several members of the Cleveland Cavaliers team that won the 2016 NBA championship.
Burns Thinks LeBron’s Reach Can Help Grow Golf
Burns focused much of his reaction on what James can bring to golf away from the scorecard. “I think as a fan of golf, I mean, to have LeBron James be a supporter and obviously growing the game is great,” Burns told TMZ Sports. “He has such an impact on so many people around the world,” Burns said. “So it’s great for our sport. It’s great for what he’s doing for it. And we’re happy to see him out there enjoying some golf.”
James began publicly embracing golf in 2025 and has since shared videos from the course, discussed the sport in interviews and appeared in golf-focused content as he works on his game. Burns has plenty of perspective from the professional side.
His official PGA Tour profile lists five career victories, and 2026 has brought some of the strongest major-championship results of his career. In June, Burns finished second at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, one shot behind Wyndham Clark after closing with a 3-under 67. A month later, he finished third at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
Burns Says He’d ‘Love’ to Play With LeBron
TMZ then put a simpler question to Burns: Would he actually want to play a round with James? “Oh, yeah,” Burns replied. “I’d love to!”
Burns was speaking from the Highlands Golf and Tennis Center in St. Louis, where he was participating in a Raising Cane’s event for local children. TMZ reported that he spent the afternoon offering golf tips, signing autographs and even helping cook chicken fingers.
LeBron Launched His Golf Channel With a Cavaliers Reunion
James’ biggest step into golf content came with “The 2016 Cavs 10-Year Reunion Golf Scramble”, released Aug. 15 as the first major video in his new golf-focused YouTube push.
The 96-minute episode reunited James with Kevin Love, J.R. Smith, Richard Jefferson, Tristan Thompson and Channing Frye in Scotland to mark a decade since Cleveland’s 2016 NBA championship.
The former teammates split into two teams for a three-on-three scramble at Castle Stuart Golf Links at Cabot Highlands. James, Love and Jefferson faced Smith, Frye and Thompson as the group mixed golf with trash talk and memories of their championship run.
The trip itself was about more than the match. James described golf as the framework for bringing the group back together while emphasizing the friendships they had maintained since overcoming a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals. The video quickly found an audience. By Aug. 18, it had surpassed two million views, while James’ YouTube channel had climbed past 530,000 subscribers.
As his interest in the sport became more public, James spoke about wanting golf to become more accessible to children from backgrounds like his own. “My goal is to open doors for kids that look like me growing up in the inner city,” James said in July, describing opportunities for children to enter country clubs, caddie, rent clubs, receive coaching and learn the game at a young age.
PGA Tour Players Are Already Paying Attention to LeBron’s Swing
The PGA Tour has already asked its players to break down the NBA star’s swing, with pros including Keegan Bradley, Billy Horschel and J.J. Spaun offering their assessments and advice.
James has also appeared in other prominent golf content. An April collaboration with Bob Does Sports drew millions of YouTube views months before he launched his own golf-focused series. Front Office Sports reported that he only began playing in 2025 but has become increasingly absorbed in the sport, posting from courses and following professional golf.