LeBron James fan’s dream will come true after big NC lottery win. ‘So excited’
A lottery player is a big LeBron James fan — and now, she intends to fulfill a longtime dream.
After the North Carolina woman hit the jackpot, she’s making plans to see the basketball star play in person.
“It’s something I always dreamed of,” prize winner Fontella Smith told the N.C. Education Lottery in a July 29 news release.
Smith won $321,419 after a stop in a Raleigh suburb. While at a Refuel gas station in Knightdale, she bought a ticket for the Carolina Cash 5 game.
It turns out, her ticket matched all the numbers picked in the July 23 drawing. She beat 1-in-962,598 odds to win the top prize in the rolling jackpot game, McClatchy News reported.
“I am so excited,” said Smith, who lives in Raleigh.
The lucky winner kept $230,620 after taxes. After getting richer, she’s planning to travel to California to see James, who has won four NBA championships and currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers.
This story was originally published July 29, 2025 at 3:10 PM with the headline "LeBron James fan’s dream will come true after big NC lottery win. ‘So excited’."
