LeBron James sends his condolences to the family of deceased Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota

Diogo Jota’s shocking death has put the sports community into a frenzy, and we’re not talking just about the football world. The Portuguese star and Liverpool player was involved in a fatal car accident in Zamora, Spain, in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The 28-year-old was with his younger brother, Andre Silva, also a professional player in Portugal, and they were both pronounced dead at the scene.

LA Lakers star LeBron James, who also happens to be an investor for Liverpool, expressed his condolences and well wishes to his family during such a difficult time.

"My prayers go out to his loved ones during this time! May you all be guided and protected! YNWA JOTA!!" the four-time NBA champion tweeted.

Trending

Jota was coming off an outstanding season, helping his native Portugal win the UEFA Nations League for the second time while also winning the English Premier League with Liverpool.

He was just 28 and had married his lifelong partner, Rute Cardoso, just 10 days ago.

LeBron James is an investor in Liverpool

On top of being one of the most accomplished basketball players of all time, LeBron James also happens to be a bit of a soccer fan. He acquired a 2% stake (initially worth $6.5 million) in Liverpool in 2011, and he's grown to become a faithful follower of the club.

"I’ve always wanted to be involved in soccer," he said in 2011. "I’m a huge fan of the game and I’m proud to be a part of the Liverpool Football Club. It’s a historic and world-renowned club, and it’s a privilege to be involved."

James visited Anfield before putting pen to paper, and once he got to know some of the team's stars and experienced the vibe in one of football's most mythical temples, he knew he had to seal the deal.

“And then to be at Anfield and see 40,000 fans screaming at the top of their lungs, the whole game was an unbelievable experience for me," he added.

"King Kenny is something else. His accent is very strong. So it was very difficult to understand what he was saying – but it was great being around him and (Luis) Suarez and Gerrard and Dirk (Kuyt) and those guys. I was very humbled that they knew me."

Liverpool has gone back to dominance over the past decade, so James' 2% stake might be one of the most valuable assets of his portfolio right now.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback

About the author

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto Cova is a journalist at Sportskeeda with a PhD in Sports Psychology. His education helped him develop a clearer understanding of the sports world as a whole, including basketball. Ernesto has over eight years of experience in the field, working for Fadeaway World, The Inquisitr, NBA Blast, The Cold Wire and Bolavip, among others.

His favorite team is the Chicago Bulls because of the Michael Jordan era. Jordan is Ernesto's all-time favorite, as he changed the game forever. Ernesto's second favorite was Kobe Bryant because he embodied that same competitive fire and Ernesto watched him play throughout his entire career. Nowadays, Ernesto really likes Stephen Curry, who he believes to be the most influential player of the past 15 years or so.

Ernesto's favorite basketball moment was when Venezuela -- his country -- took down Canada to take home the 2015 FIBA Americas Cup.

When not watching or writing about basketball, Ernesto likes to read and is interested in photography.

Know More