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Tom Brady just walked away with $1 million—and a piece of LeBron James history.
The NFL legend took top honors at the inaugural Fanatics Games this weekend at Fanatics Fest in New York, besting a field of 100 athletes, celebrities, and superfans in a mix of competitions ranging from NFL passing drills to NBA shootouts and even FIFA goal-scoring challenges.
Brady wasn’t just playing for fun: his first-place finish earned him a cool $1 million. Ever the crowd-pleaser, the former Patriots and Buccaneers quarterback announced onstage he would give $5,000 to each of the 50 fans who competed and donate the rest to charity.
But in true GOAT fashion, he had one more play up his sleeve.
Third-place winner Matt Dennish, a 39-year-old teacher from Pennsylvania, had just scored a serious collector’s item—a 2003-04 Topps Chrome Gold Refractor LeBron James rookie card, numbered to 50 and graded 9.5. The prize was part of his podium finish, but he didn’t hold onto it for long.
Brady, a well-known trading card aficionado, made him an offer live onstage: $250,000 in cash, a signed jersey, and an autographed Brady card in exchange for the LeBron grail. Dennish shook on it.
“Give it up to Matt,” Brady told the crowd. “To come in third place with so many incredible athletes, I was absolutely blown away. There’s no way I thought a fan could compete with guys who train their entire life in these disciplines.”
Fan power showed out hard this weekend—six of the top 10 finishers weren’t pro athletes. UFC fighter Justin Gaethje landed in second, winning a $500,000 Ferrari 296 GT, while NBA star James Harden and retired NFL QB Eli Manning rounded out the top five.
But leave it to Brady to turn a charity win into a sports card flex. Even in retirement, the man just can’t stop winning.
