Where Will LeBron James Live in NYC?

LeBron James is maybe, possibly, reportedly, going to live in New York.

NBA insiders reporting news of James’ departure from the Los Angeles Lakers for a two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers said the four-time NBA champion was in part attracted to the City of Brotherly Love because of the option to attend practices and games by helicopter commute from the Big Apple.

That James, argued by some to be the best professional basketball player ever and inarguably one of the two best players ever, is considering moving to New York is enough to make a real estate publication wonder where, exactly, the Kid from Akron might end up in the big city.

Despite jokes around the internet that James could become the latest victim of the city’s pied-á-terre tax, brokers told The Real Deal they figured James would likely be entering the rental market, considering he already has roots in Los Angeles and Cleveland.

James previously sent New York City brokers buzzing in 2010, when he was weighing signing with the New York Knicks against a stint with the Miami Heat. Ultimately, he took his talents to South Beach despite top residential agents rolling out the red carpet for the superstar. (Then-Halstead president Diane Ramirez pledged part of her commission to a charity of James’ choosing if he worked with a Halstead agent. Sixteen years later, Halstead is no longer around and Ramirez has moved to Florida.)

New York City has since experienced an entire boom cycle of development, meaning James last scoped out then-buzzy digs at 25 Columbus Circle, 40 Wooster Street and 23 Perry Street.

Instead, today’s top agents, when prodded to expand their horizons beyond their own listings, pointed to the city’s more recent crop of A-plus buildings: Related Companies’ 70 Vestry Street, Metro Loft’s 443 Greenwich and Witkoff Group’s 150 Charles.

All three buildings launched in the mid-2010s and became huge hits with wealthy buyers looking to spend their money downtown. Celebrities in particular have flocked to the buildings, which are outfitted with high degrees of paparazzi-proofing. With easy access to the West Side Highway and the city’s three helipads, the buildings also jive with other reports that James may helicopter from New York to Philadelphia for practices and games.

70 Vestry in particular has been a hot spot for athletes.

Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady paid $25 million for a five-bedroom unit at the building in 2018. F1 racer Lewis Hamilton dropped $40 million on a penthouse in 2019 and James’ former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate and fellow 2016 champion, Kevin Love, picked up a unit for $10 million in 2018.

But James, despite his uber-celebrity status, might run into a problem that has beleaguered the city in recent years: no inventory. At 70 Vestry, for example, there are no apartments to buy or rent on StreetEasy. Serhant’s Peter Zaitzeff said he had a client who just left a four-bedroom rental in the building, but after checking mid-conversation, it turned out the spot had already been filled. (“If he wants to get into 70 Vestry, call Peter Zaitzeff,” he added, undeterred.)

Brokers previously told The Real Deal how the tight market has created a feeding frenzy. But somebody of LeBron’s stature could create a market unto itself, according to Douglas Elliman’s Alexander Boriskin.

“If he’s offering a couple hundred thousand dollars a month, and [the owner] uses the apartment three weeks out of the year, you might say ‘I’ll stay in a hotel for my three weeks,” he said, pointing to homes asking $30 million or more that have sat on the market that could be open to a tenant who is really rich and good at basketball.

A penthouse at 443 Greenwich, which has played host to its own cadre of A-list celebs including Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, Jennifer Lawrence and Jake Gyllenhaal, is currently on the market for $35 million and had rented back in 2024 for $80,000 per month. Compass’ Jared Schwadron, who has the listing, didn’t shoot down the notion that James could be a potential tenant, but said his client has already rebuffed offers to rent for hundreds of thousands per month. Still, “if somebody made a great offer — money speaks,” Schwadron said.

Brokers also pointed to Hudson Yards, where there are fully furnished units available to rent at 15 and 35 Hudson Yards for around $50,000, a relative steal in today’s luxury rental market. The West Side megadevelopment has close proximity to one of the city’s other helipads and is also just 10 minutes away from the Lifetime SKY gym at 605 West 42nd Street, a popular off-season training spot for NBA players.

Douglas Elliman’s Michelle Griffith, perhaps influenced by her own $8.5 million penthouse listing at 91 Leonard Street that she said has already drawn interest from Knicks players, said she was not convinced that James would rent. “New York City is a legacy asset,” she said. “It’s not just another home.”

But Douglas Elliman’s Eleonora Srugo was the only broker to mention one obvious requirement for the 6-foot nine-inch superstar.

“High ceilings,” she said.