LeBron James, Ohio's native son, is going back to his Buckeye roots in the NFL. The Los Angeles Lakers star has pledged his allegiance for his hometown Cleveland Browns.

LeBron James made the startling revelation on TNF this week, per NFL on Prime Video's X account.

“I'm a Browns fan now. My hometown (has) been disgusting my whole life but we have hope every year,” LeBron James said.

LeBron James is now rooting for the Browns 

Prior to LeBron James declaring his newfound Browns fandom, he had been a long-time supporter of the Dallas Cowboys. Not only is James an NFL fan, but he's also a vocal one at that. For instance, LeBron James tweeted his thoughts on CeeDee Lamb's incredible one-handed catch against the New York Giants last year.

The Browns were perennial Super Bowl contenders when LeBron James was a toddler growing up in Akron, OH. That was the time Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway tormented Cleveland in back-to-back AFC Championship Games.

Regrettably, the Browns have made just three playoff appearances in the past 33 years. Their never-ending quarterback carousel (involving Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, and Colt McCoy, to name a few) were one of the reasons for their ineptitude. Little wonder James didn't root for his hometown team.

Apparently, James has seen enough progress to make a change of heart. The Browns' core of Deshaun Watson, Nick Chubb, Amari Cooper, Myles Garrett, and David Njoku has potential. Is it enough to compete in a wide-open AFC North division race? That remains to be seen.

The Browns will face Brock Purdy and the undefeated San Francisco 49ers in Week 6. That's no mean feat considering the 49ers are tremendous on both sides of the ball. Worse, the Browns will play without starting quarterback Deshaun Watson due to a shoulder injury.

Nevertheless, expect Lakers star LeBron James to cheer his heart out for the Browns this Sunday.