NBA all-star LeBron James will join South Korean automaker Kia Motors as the brand ambassador for its new luxury sedan, the K900. His endorsement deal with Kia comes after he posted a photo of the company’s flagship model on his Instagram account in August with a message that read, “Rolling around in my K900. Love this car!”
“They’re also the title sponsor of the NBA and they did a lot of great promoting as far as the game,” James said before taking the court for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ preseason game against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, according to ESPN. “And me being one of the top guys in our league, to try to promote the game, I thought it was fitting.”
K900, Kia’s premium sedan, was released for the first time in the U.S. last January.
James is joining an already impressive list of athletes promoting Kia, including his NBA colleague Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers, tennis star Rafael Nadal and professional golfer Michelle Wie.
“As fans of the game of basketball, we were honored to learn that one of today’s most influential athletes and tastemakers recognized something different was going on at Kia and wanted to check out our flagship sedan,” Kia Motors America’s marketing communications vice president Tim Chaney said in a press release.