(CNN) -- In the tech world, paying a celebrity to love your product can sometimes backfire. On Wednesday, NBA superstar LeBron James took to Twitter to announce a nightmare of the mobile age: "My phone just erased everything I had in it and rebooted. One of the sickest feelings I've ever had in my life!!!" Here's the problem: That phone was, presumably, the Samsung Galaxy Note that the Miami Heat star is paid big money to endorse. His was just the most recent in a series of public missteps by celebrities who have been increasingly called upon to create buzz for tech products.
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LeBron James tweeted a complaint about the smartphone he endorses
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On social media, other celebrities have bagged on the brands they promote
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Ellen DeGeneres used Samsung onstage at Oscars, iPhone backstage
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Expert says positive endorsements still outweigh such flubs
It's not the first time a celebrity, an endorsement deal and @placeholder have merged to create an awkward gaffe.