"He's a great friend of mine" – LeBron James once partied with Bad Bunny in Puerto Rico before his Super Bowl halftime show diss

Less than a week after his historic win at the Grammys, Bad Bunny gave one of the best and most powerful halftime performances in Super Bowl history.

With his 13-minute Spanish performance at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, Bad Bunny honored his Puerto Rican roots and celebrated Latin heritage. Yet the Puerto Rican singer still found time to sneak in a supposed diss at Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.

Advertisement

While performing his 2022 song, "El Apagón," Bad Bunny seemingly threw a subtle shade at James with a Spanish lyric that translates to "Barea, the one who became champion before LeBron." It is a shoutout to Puerto Rican NBA player JJ Barea's championship win with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, a year before LeBron's first championship.

However, what people do not know is that James and Bad Bunny are actually great friends.

LeBron joined Bad Bunny's 30-show residency in Puerto Rico

Ahead of the current NBA season, Bad Bunny, a.k.a Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, commenced his first-ever concert residency in Puerto Rico. Called "No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí," which translates to "I do not wan t to leave here," the residency lasted from July 11 to Sept. 20 and was composed of 31 shows.

Advertisement

The biggest celebrities were expected to travel to Bad Bunny's motherland to support him. And sure enough, James did, even announcing his intention to come out and be there for the rapper via X.

In early July 2025, the four-time was spotted busting out his dance moves and partying with Bad Bunny in San Juan. And he did not come alone, as he was also accompanied by Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green.

This happened while the Lakers were deciding on moving on from LeBron and embracing the Luka Doncic era. The former Dallas Mavericks superstar was poised to become the new franchise centerpiece with the four-time MVP not getting any younger.

Advertisement

However, that matter was far from James' mind at the time. He was too busy living his best life and enjoying the offseason with Benito miles away from the drama of the NBA.

Related: Former NBA Champion weighs in on the GOAT debate: "LeBron James, in his prime, didn't have a hole in his game."

Bron and Bad Bunny are great friends

James' friendship with Bad Bunny is no surprise. The rapper has frequented Lakers games, including the time King James broke the NBA's all-time scoring record in February 2023. Benito even congratulated him personally, calling him "La Cabra" or "The Goat."

Advertisement

In 2021, the two linked up off the court in Puerto Rico, with LeBron thanking Bad Bunny for his hospitality.

With their bond deeper than ever in 2025, James did not hesitate to congratulate and show his support for Bad Bunny after the NFL announced in September that he'd be the official halftime performer for Super Bowl LX.

"I'm super happy for Bad Bunny that he's able to represent the Super Bowl in San Francisco. That's gonna be super dope and hopefully I could be there, man, just to support him," James said in October. "He's a great friend of mine, so it was great to see that."

Advertisement< /p>

James was not able to attend the Super Bowl and watch Bad Bunny's halftime performance. Instead, he got a playful jab from Benito.

However, people seem to be blowing it out of proportion, as aside from the line always being a part of the song, the two have always been good friends. It just so happened that Bad Bunny sang it during one of the biggest sporting events in the country.

Related: Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show throws subtle shade at the Lakers superstar: "Barea, the one who became champion before LeBron"

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.