LeBron James approves of 50 Cent’s new Street Fighter role

LeBron James looks to have given his nod of approval to rap legend and actor Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson being cast as Balrog in the upcoming live-action “Street Fighter” movie.

Legendary Pictures and Paramount Pictures unveiled the stacked cast for the film, which is set to premiere in October 2026. 50 Cent takes on the role of Balrog, a fallen boxer who becomes an enforcer for the villain M. Bison.

Sharing a clip of his training for the role, 50 Cent drew a reaction from LeBron on Sunday, who responded with hyped-up emojis.

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The new “Street Fighter” adaptation promises to stay true to the iconic video game, featuring Ryu, Ken Masters, Chun-Li, Akuma and Blanka alongside 50 Cent’s Balrog.

Directed by Kitao Sakurai, the project also stars Noah Centineo as Ken Masters, Andrew Koji as Ryu and Jason Momoa as Blanka.

50 Cent has been hitting the gym hard to embody Balrog, posting footage of himself training and practicing the character’s boxing style.

Though LeBron has admitted Street Fighter isn’t his all-time favorite video game -- that title goes to Madden -- he still seems fired up for the movie.

For his part, 50 Cent has long been one of LeBron James' public supporters, even defending him against criticisms from NBA legends like Julius Erving, who faulted James for the rise of “superteams.”

NBA Hall of Famer says LeBron James would be the GOAT under triangle offense

The endless GOAT debate between LeBron James and Michael Jordan took another turn when newly inducted Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady weighed in, saying LeBron might already be the undisputed greatest had he played in a different system early in his career.

Speaking on “The Arena,” McGrady argued that James would have flourished in the triangle offense — a scheme where three players form a triangle on one side of the floor while the other two run a two-man game on the opposite side, creating balanced spacing and options.

“If Bron got introduced to the triangle at an early age, Bron would have expanded his game,” McGrady said (per Lakers Nation).

“He’s not as fast or uber athletic like he once was. But if we take Bron who he is now, with the athleticism, speed, and everything, agility, and put him in that triangle, learning that, I don’t think there’s any question who the greatest player would be.”

The triangle offense, made famous by coach Phil Jackson, powered both the Chicago Bulls and LA Lakers to multiple championships.

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John Ezekiel Hirro

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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