LeBron James is an NBA legend but the 38-year-old is first and foremost a family man, as he’s shared on multiple occasions. The Los Angeles Lakers star is married to his high school sweetheart, Savannah Brinson James, and the couple shares three children. James is also very close to his mother, Gloria James, who raised him as a single mom.
Here’s what you need to know about LeBron James’ family:
1. LeBron James Was Raised by a Single Mother, Gloria James, & He Is Her Only Child
James grew up the only child of a single mother, Gloria Marie James, and the two have been a tight-knit family his whole life. James was born on December 30, 1984, when his mother was 16 years old. His father, whose identity has not been confirmed by the Jameses, was never in the picture.
For the first three years of his life, James lived with his mother and his grandmother, Freda James Howard, in their family home. All that changed, however, when his grandmother died of a heart attack on Christmas Day a few days before James’ third birthday.
Afterward, James and his mother bounced around to a lot of different homes, up to a dozen times in a 3-year period, he wrote in an essay published by TODAY. His mother worked a lot of different jobs to try to provide for her son and give him a stable home environment.
When he was 9 years old, James went to live with his pee-wee football coach Frankie Walker and Walker’s family, which he described as a “supreme sacrifice” on his mother’s part. “She decided that while she was figuring out how to get on her feet, I needed some stability in my life,” he wrote. “I needed to stay in one place and experience the support and security that she had felt growing up in a big family.”
He saw his mother every weekend and by the end of the year, he was able to move back in with his mother, who’d just secured a stable apartment. He wrote in his essay that from that point on, he lived with his mother until the end of high school.
2. LeBron James Has Been With His Now-Wife Savannah Brinson James Since Meeting in High School in 2002
In 2002, when James was 17 years old and a junior at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, he met his future wife Savannah Brinson. James, who was already a breakout basketball star, spotted the 16-year-old Buchtel High School sophomore at a football game and gave her his number via a mutual friend, she recalled in an interview with Cleveland Magazine.
The two began dating soon after that and Savannah James became pregnant in her senior year of high school. At the time, James was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers in his rookie NBA season. She shared with Harper’s Bazaar that she never once considered not having the baby. On October 6, 2004, the young couple became first-time parents as they welcomed LeBron James Jr., who is known as Bronny.
LeBron and Savannah James are still going strong and got married on September 14, 2013, over a decade after they began dating. James has been very vocal about his love for his wife in interviews and on social media. “[Savannah] was down when I was at my high school, no cameras, no lights,” he shared during one speech reported by The Hollywood Reporter. “And she was there with me. You wouldn’t be talking to me right now if it weren’t for her.”
James regularly gushes over his wife’s social media, sharing some of her looks on his own page and leaving sweet comments on her posts. “Quick letter to my Queen, Simply just letting you know that I appreciate you more than this world has to offer!!” he captioned one post on Instagram. “Been my [rock] holding this s*** down from the very first jump ball!” he continued.
On February 25, 2023, his comment on his wife’s Instagram post from Italy went viral as he wrote, “Ok now you just showing out!! Get your a** home now and get what you can’t get in Europe!” he added several flame emojis and a devil emoji to the comment.
3. LeBron James Has 3 Children With His Wife Savannah James, 2 Sons & a Daughter
James has three children with his wife Savannah James. The couple had two sons before getting married and welcomed a daughter a year after tying the knot. LeBron “Bronny” James Jr. was born on October 6, 2004, followed by Bryce Maximus on June 14, 2007.
The James family expanded on October 22, 2014, with the birth of daughter Zhuri Nova. The family is very close and James frequently posts updates with all his children. His two sons, who are students at Sierra Canyon High School in Los Angeles, are both talented basketball players. Bronny James is in his final year of high school and will soon be making a decision about his future, although he told Sports Illustrated that he’d love a career in basketball.
Bryce Maximus James is also a great basketball player but his mother told the publication that his future goals are more of a “mystery” to the family and only time will tell. However, the Jameses confirmed to Sports Illustrated that their daughter Zhuri isn’t interested in playing basketball.
Instead, the 8-year-old is becoming a public figure of her own thanks to her social media page and her successful YouTube channel titled “All Things Zhuri.” The young girl has posted videos of yoga, painting and baking but hasn’t shared anything in over a year. Earlier in 2023, she announced on Instagram that she was “back” and with a “few surprises” up her sleeve.
4. LeBron James Said Growing Up Without a Father Has Influenced His Actions & Parenting Style Now
LeBron James was raised by a single mother and while there’s been some speculation about the identity of his father, James has never publicly confirmed any of the rumors. During a family interview with Sports Illustrated, his mother said James’ parenting has been influenced by his own father’s absence. “He’s always been adamant that he’d never be that [kind of] father,” Gloria James shared.
James echoed those comments while speaking with GQ and said his dad’s absence helped shape him into who he is today. “Like, ‘Wow, Dad, you know what, I don’t know you, I have no idea who you are, but because of you is part of the reason who I am today,'” he said. “The fuel that I use — you not being there — it’s part of the reason I grew up to become who I am.”
He said it’s likely why he’s so hands-on in everything he does, including being a family man. “Me in a position allowing people around me to grow, that maybe wouldn’t have happened if I had two parents, two sisters, a dog, and a picket fence, you know?” he added. James also shared that quote in an Instagram post dated February 19, 2014.
5. LeBron James Has 2 Uncles & Also Has a Good Relationship With His In-Laws, Who Lived With Him for Some Time
James’ mother has two brothers, Curtis and Terry James, although they aren’t in the public eye as much as the rest of the family. One of James’ uncles, Curtis, is a musician and artist better known as Uncle James. According to Los Angeles Wire, Uncle James has appeared in various theatrical roles, music videos, and is a talented singer/songwriter. He’s released several albums, including “Lifestyles of Curt James” volumes 1 and 2.
James is also close with his wife’s parents, who moved in with the family for a brief period. After LeBron moved to Miami to play with the Miami Heat, he revealed that his in-laws moved into their home for some time as well, according to Vanity Fair.
James’ father-in-law is JK Brinson, who is now retired after working with Akron Paint & Varnish Engineered Coatings while his mother-in-law, Jennifer Brinson, worked as a nurse, according to Cleveland Magazine.
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LeBron James’ Family: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know