Sauce Gardner opens up on how LeBron helped him meet Ice Spice

LeBron James, even when unintentionally, helped play the function of matchmaker for Sauce Gardner’s rumored relationship with rapper Ice Spice, the Jets cornerback instructed TMZ.

Gardner appeared on an April 2024 episode of “The Store” — a podcast that includes James — alongside rapper Travis Scott, former NFL wideout Chad Ochocinco and star Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez, and Gardner instructed the outlet he believes that’s when the couple met in particular person for the primary time.

They seemingly grew to become Instagram official simply over one 12 months later in a publish shared by Ice Spice together with her and Gardner posing in entrance a WC mirror.

Whereas Gardner instructed TMZ that he wasn’t “attempting to talk an excessive amount of on it” when approached in Los Angeles, he did acknowledge that he and the rapper are “cool” — and proceeded to disclose a bit about their relationship.

“We simply be having a great time,” Gardner instructed the outlet. “Two younger people, you already know. She from New York. I play in New York. She proficient, actual proficient, when it come to what she do. Identical factor for me. Two those that get hated on that’s actually good at what we do, so we obtained so much in frequent. We cool.”

Earlier than Ice Spice’s publish, the duo had been noticed out in public on totally different events, and Gardner appeared to tease the connection earlier in April by sharing a photograph on Instagram that confirmed them standing subsequent to a automotive in New York Metropolis.

Once they attended a Knicks playoff sport on the Backyard in Might, they acquired a loud ovation from followers in attendance as they watched the Knicks shut out their second-round sequence towards the Celtics.

Gardner, 24, will enter the 2025 marketing campaign off a tough season and is coming into the final 12 months of his rookie deal, however he nonetheless attended the Jets’ obligatory minicamp as a substitute of holding out, getting fined and making an attempt to make a contract assertion.

“I simply wished to point out my teammates and the coaches how a lot I’m purchased into this,” Gardner instructed reporters on June 12. “I wish to win. I wish to be part of altering the group.”

He earned consecutive First-Workforce All-Professional appearances in his first two NFL seasons — in addition to profitable Defensive Rookie of the 12 months and securing a pair of Professional Bowl spots — however didn’t even make the Professional Bowl final 12 months.