After their medal-worthy performances at the 2024 Olympic Games, many Team USA athletes took celebrating their wins seriously. Several posted photos popping bottles, and others looked visibly hungover for press appearances. (We wonder if Simone Biles has recovered yet.) Not to be outdone, gold medalist and wine enthusiast LeBron James soaked in America’s riveting basketball win against France with bottles that even the world’s top collectors would covet.
James and fellow NBA player Draymond Green allegedly took full advantage of the Olympics’ Parisian setting, retreating to France’s charming countryside following the Games to indulge in some of the nation’s best cuisine, spirits, and of course, wine. So, what does a gold medalist’s wine lineup look like? Here are some of the bottles that James selected for his post-win festivities, according to the U.S. Sun.
James and Green purchased two bottles of 2004 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru — which falls under the highest classification level in Burgundy — from Domaine Leroy, which sell for $9,400 each. The two also picked out a 2016 Le Pin Pomerol, an esteemed wine from Bordeaux that can retail for over $4,000 a bottle. And what’s a party without a few bottles of 2018 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti (DRC), one of the most sought-after bottles on the market? The prestigious Burgundy is considered to be the best — and most expensive — in the world, a fitting reward for one of the planet’s most decorated athletes. The two friends continued their string of purchases with two decanters of Louis XIII Cognac, totalling about $10,000.
With his third Olympic gold and a couple of bottles of DRC in hand, James is clearly living out the fantasies of athletes and wine collectors alike.