Michael Phelps reacts as NBA legend LeBron James tries new sport during offseason

Former competitive swimmer Michael Phelps shared his reaction to Lebron James enjoying a game of golf following the end of the NBA season. Phelps and James have spoken highly of each other on previous occasions, with the two athletes also representing the United States at multiple Olympic Games. The basketball star once even acknowledged Phelps who was sitting courtside after a dunk during a match between the Cavaliers and the Suns in 2017.

Michael Phelps is widely recognized as one of the greatest athletes of all time. He has a record 28 Olympic medals to his name, more than any other Olympian in history. Phelps made his breakthrough on the international stage in 2001 when he set his first world record in the 200m butterfly, aged just 15. Phelps retired from the sport following the Rio 2016 Olympics, where he won five gold medals and one silver medal.

In a post shared on Instagram, Lebron James shared a few highlights of his golf session and captioned the post with:

"Day 2 of officially trying this ⛳️🏌🏾 out!"

Phelps commented on the post, writing:

"Let’s goooo!"

Still taken from James' Instagram (Source: @kingjames/Instagram)

Following his retirement, Phelps also took up golf as a hobby and eventually became quite invested in the sport. He has competed at many tournaments and has been spotted playing at Pebble Beach.

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Michael Phelps on the one tool that he picked up from swimming to help him play golf better

Michael Phelps at the WM Phoenix Open 2025 - Source: Getty

Michael Phelps previously discussed his interest in golf and revealed the one thing he picked up from swimming that helped him transition to playing golf. In an interview with Golf.com, Phelps said:

"I think confidence. I think that goes a long way. I was always confident in the swimming pool, which meant I got the results that I wanted, most of the time. Preparation is something that’s always important. So if I have the confidence factor and I believe I can do something, then I feel like that’s kinda really all it is. And I know that sounds really simple. But there are days where I feel like you get in your head, especially in the game of golf."

"I know how to hit good shots. So it’s just finding a way to get out of your own way. That was something that I did in the pool — just let it happen. So whatever you have that day is what you have that day. And there’s nothing you can do to change it."

Michael Phelps has played at tournaments such as the ICON series golf tournament, representing Team USA alongside Fred Couples and JR Smith.