Lakers' LeBron James Officially Revives Hilarious Catchphrase for Taco Bell Partnership

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has announced a new partnership with Taco Bell.

Sep 30, 2024; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) during media day at the UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

No basketball player in NBA history has been more associated with tacos than Los Angeles Lakers superstar forward LeBron James.

Now, his penchant for consuming tacos on a Tuesday has reached a new height, especially with the announcement of a new national holiday.

On Sept. 17, foodbeast posted on X about National Taco Day being celebrated on the first Tuesday of every October. About two weeks later, James shared the post in the most enthusiastic way possible.

"Let's go [Taco Bell]!!" James said. "Only right that National Taco Day is on a TUUUEEESSDAAAYYYY!!! Expect a crazy drop tomorrow and every Tuesday after that." He followed the post with the hashtag "#tacobellpartner."

James first began partnering with Taco Bell back in 2023 when the company began its "Free Taco Tuesday For Everybody" campaign to free the trademark of the term "Taco Tuesday." That being said, the copyright history of the phrase is fascinating.

The term was originally trademarked by Gregory's Restaurant & Bar of Somers Point in 1982 after having a promotion that began on Feb. 6, 1979. Additionally, franchises of a fast food chain called Taco John's began using the term in 1979 and the early 1980s.

Taco John's trademarked Taco Tuesday in 1989 in every state except for New Jersey, where Gegory's Restaurant & Bar had their trademark. Meanwhile, Tortilla Flats had a trademark for "Tack Tuesday" starting in 1984.

All of this began to come to a head when James tried to trademark the term in 2019 after sharing multiple social media posts about his family's weekly taco dinners.

However, James' claim was denied because the United States Patent and Trademark Office said that the phrase was "a commonplace term, message or expression widely used by a variety of sources that merely conveys an ordinary, familiar, well-recognized concept or sentiment."

In May 2023, Taco Bell began its campaign to "Free Taco Tuesday," saying that the phrase belongs to everyone.

“Our passion for liberating ‘Taco Tuesday’ is fueled by the community of taco enthusiasts that turned two simple words into a cultural phenomenon,” Taco Bell’s Chief Marketing Officer Taylor Montgomery said.

“To see the support and excitement in response to our efforts to free ‘Taco Tuesday’ for everyone is not something we take lightly. And, much like Taco Tuesday itself, it’s better when shared."

James worked with Taco Bell in its campaign, appearing in commercials and releasing a statement.

"‘Taco Tuesday’ is a tradition that everyone should be able to celebrate. All restaurants, all families, all businesses – everybody,” James said, as if he hadn't tried to trademark the term a few years earlier.

On July 18, 2023, Taco John's announced that they would no longer hold a trademark on the term. Gregory's Barr & Restaurant followed suit on Oct. 24, 2023.

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