LeBron James makes hypocritical move with Twitter ‘Blue Check’ after tweeting he won’t be paying $5 for it

LeBron James has seemingly walked back his claim of having no intention of paying for a Twitter blue check. The day is finally here when anyone who chooses not to pay for a blue check will lose the one provided through the original verification system.

With other notable individuals like Kendrick Perkins refusing to pay for the blue check, James now finds himself still with the check. As a result, many have concluded that he has in fact paid for the verification despite his earlier tweet.

James' account still displays the Twitter blue check. On the flip side, in addition to Kendrick Perkins, notable athletes like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Aaron Judge and Russell Wilson have all refused to pay.

Conor McGregor, Tom Brady and fellow NBA star Klay Thompson, on the other hand, have all paid for the badge. With this interesting "Avengers: Civil War"-style showdown between those willing and unwilling to pay, many are wondering why anyone has to pay.

According to Twitter, the blue check subscription will help the site cover costs.

"Starting on Saturday, many Twitter accounts will lose the check mark under modifications being made by Elon Musk, the social media company’s owner. Individual users must buy a subscription to Twitter’s Blue service, which costs $8 a month, to obtain the badge," a statement from Twitter said.

"Businesses that are currently unverified will have to pay $1,000 a month if they want a gold check mark verifying their account. The move, which will help Twitter generate revenue by making certain features exclusive to subscribers, has implications for a range of users on the platform. Here’s what to know."

LeBron James focused on Game 3 against the Memphis Grizzlies

Despite all the reactions to LeBron James purchasing the blue check, the main focus of the four-time NBA champ is, of course, Game 3 of the NBA playoffs on Saturday. With the Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies tied 1-1, the LA Lakers will need to defend home court in hopes of going up 3-1 before traveling back to Memphis.

The game will give James the chance to fire back at Dillon Brooks, who recently brought all the hot takes to his postgame media scrum.

“He’s old. You know what I mean?" Brooks said. "I was waiting for that. I was expecting him to do that Game 4, Game 5. He wanted to say some when I got my fourth foul. He should have been saying that earlier on. But I poke bears. I don’t respect no one until they come and give me 40.”

With Brooks bringing all the smoke to the series, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith has challenged LeBron James to silence him in Game 3.

First, the Lakers will enjoy two days of rest, with their next game taking place on Saturday at the Crypto.com Arena in LA.