(Photo : FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
LeBron James checks his cellphone on arrival for his press conference on the Los Angeles Lakers in Los Angeles, California, September 24, 2018, with the Lakers' newest blockbuster signing and teammates met with the media. - The Lakers open their 2018 NBA season in Portland on October 18th.

LeBron James' Twitter checkmark was paid by Elon Musk, allowing the NBA star to keep his blue check while other users like Stephen Curry lost theirs.

James has previously refused to pay for a Twitter Blue subscription to keep his blue check on the Musk-owned social network. But even if the platform has begun removing legacy checkmarks, the Los Angeles Lakers star gets to keep his.

Elon Musk Pays for LeBron James' Twitter Checkmark

As per The Verge, the iconic NBA player, James, publicly refused to pay for a Blue subscription to keep the highly-coveted blue check. He previously insisted that "I ain't paying the $5," which is the service's monthly price that lets users keep their checkmarks.

But despite his previous remarks, he still gets to keep the verification mark beside his name on the platform. And while he refused to pay, the badge says that he "is verified because they are subscribed to Twitter Blue and verified their phone number."

However, Adam Mendelsohn, the media advisor of the NBA star, told The Verge that James did not pay for any verification on the platform. It turns out that Musk gave it to him for free.

The Twitter Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Musk, tweeted to reveal that he is "paying" for the Blue subscription of a "few" people on the social network. It turns out that it includes the basketball icon LeBron James.

Stephen King also gets to keep his blue check, according to Forbes. However, he says that he did not pay for it. He tweeted, "My Twitter account says I've subscribed to Twitter Blue. I haven't." Musk has since responded to his post, saying, "You're welcome, namaste," with a high-five emoji.

Apart from James and King, rapper Ice T, who expressed opposition to paying for a checkmark, still carried the badge on his profile. Musk must have paid for it too.

Read Also: Elon Musk on BBC: Twitter CEO Talks Firm Acquisition and Takeover, Reveals Sleeping on Office Couch

(Photo : Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 02: Elon Musk attends The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 02, 2022 in New York City.

Who Lost Their Twitter Checkmarks?

Unlike James, other NBA players like Ja Morant and Zion Williamson no longer flaunt any verification badge, The Verge notes.

The legacy checkmark removal has a couple of casualties, including prominent figures in the platform. USA Today reports that the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has lost his verified badge on Twitter.

Meanwhile, the American singer Beyonce no longer rocks a blue check on her Twitter account. The co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, whom Musk recently took a swipe at saying his AI knowledge is limited, also lost his verification badge.

If they want to keep their blue checks, they must pay at least $8 per month or $84 per year to get their hands on a Twitter Blue subscription.

Related Article: Elon Musk Criticizes NPR's Government Funding Despite SpaceX, Tesla Getting More Government Subsidies