On the basketball court, NBA superstar Lebron James is widely recognized as one of the most famous and talented athletes of all time—so much so that he’s commonly referred to as “King James.” However, as Lebron would be the first to tell you, he’d be “absolutely nothing” without his queen, Savannah James.

Lebron and his wife Savannah have been happily married since 2003, but their love story started long before that. ​​Throughout their years together, they’ve supported each other’s endeavors on and off the court, and the duo makes for the ultimate couple goals (or baskets?). So, who is Savannah James? We’ve broken down everything you need to know about the queen behind LeBron’s king.

 

They Met in High School

The adorable couple goes way back—specifically, all the way back to high school. Although they didn’t attend the same school, Savannah was a cheerleader at the rival high school (what’s a little friendly competition?).

At the time, 16-year-old Savannah was introduced to 17-year-old LeBon, who was recruited to play basketball at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Ohio. According to Good Housekeeping, they were initially connected by a mutual friend.

 

She Made the First Move

Savannah has always been an independent woman, and she even made the first move in their relationship. In fact, when the aforementioned mutual friend told her that LeBron asked for her number, Savannah actually replied “nope,” and said she would take his number instead. Savannah shared the hilarious and adorable story with Cleveland Magazine in 2018, adding that she ended up texting him one day out of boredom.

“One day I’m sitting around—I was probably bored or something—and I’m like, ‘Oh, I forgot! I have this number for this guy that I can call. He seemed interested, so let’s see.’”

After reaching out, LeBron took Savannah on their first date to Outback Steakhouse, and the rest is history.

 

They Have Three Kids Together

The couple shares three children together: sons, LeBron “Bronny” James Jr., 16, and Bryce, 14, as well as 6-year-old daughter Zhuri. Savannah found out she was pregnant with their first child around the same time that LeBron was the No. 1 overall pick at the NBA Draft. According to Business Insider, she told Harper’s Bazaar that LeBron was always supportive and comforting to her throughout her pregnancy journey.

“’It’s not going to slow me down, and it’s not going to slow you down,’” she recalled him saying. “‘We’re going to keep doing what we have to do.’” The pair welcomed Bronny in 2004, followed by their second child Bryce in 2007.

In 2011, LeBron popped the question after 10 years together, and the two tied the knot in 2013. Almost exactly a year later, the couple welcomed their daughter Zhuri to the family.

 

She’s a Business Woman

According to Stylecaster, Savannah has had several businesses over the years. She opened a juicery in 2013, and later created a furniture line called Home Court with American Signature in 2018.

Most recently, Savannah launched a blog and YouTube channel with the couple’s 6-year-old daughter Zhuri, called “All Things Zhuri.”

 

She Is a Philanthropist

Today, the mother of three dedicates most of her time to helping “encourage and empower girls and young women,” according to Cleveland Magazine. She’s spoken at several fundraising events, like the Akron Community Foundation’s For Women, Forever endowment dinner, and was an honorary chair for the YWCA Greater Cleveland’s Circle fundraiser.

In 2017, she launched a mentorship program called Women of the Future, an initiative that works to empower and support young women in the Akron, Ohio area. She told Cleveland Magazine that she likes to maintain her private life, but that she’ll enter the public space when it comes to philanthropy.

“I’m still a very private person,” she said. “But these things reflect the passion that I have as far as giving back, the philanthropic part of me. So with those things, I don’t mind stepping out.”

 

They Recently Celebrated Their 8th Wedding Anniversary

Earlier this year, Lebron and Savannah celebrated eight years of marital bliss on their wedding anniversary in September. The couple individually posted the sweetest tributes to each other on their special day, reflecting on their eight years of marriage, and the many more years they’ve shared together.

“Our own personal Met Gala 8 years ago,” Lebron captioned a pair of photos from their lavish 2013 wedding day. “Happy Anniversary Queen!! Who am i w/o you in my corner, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Love you ♾ 👸🏾🤎🤎🤎🤎🤎 .”

In her own anniversary post, Savannah wrote, “Happy Anniversary to my forever scary movie partner, my forever feet warmer, the Capricorn to my Virgo, my bestie, my babe!!! 8 years down, forever to go! Love you deep!! #LookWhatWeDid.”

 

She Supports Her Husband’s NBA Career

Savannah is her husband’s number one fan both on and off the court, and she frequently attends LeBron’s games. When the basketball star broke the record as the all-time top scorer in the NBA on February 7, 2023, the business mogul was there to cheer him on. The Los Angeles Lakers were playing Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, and LeBron scored his 36th point of the game with just 10.9 seconds left. In total, LeBron has accumulated 38,388 points over his career, according to CNN.

After the game, his wife, children, and mother stormed the court and embraced him. “I just want to say thank you to the Laker faithful,” the NBA star said. “You guys are one of a kind.” He then asked the crowd to give Kareem Abdul-Jabbar a standing ovation because the former basketball player held the record for 39 years before LeBron earned the title. In his speech, LeBron also indirectly referenced his wife’s support. “Everybody that’s ever been a part of this run with me the last 20-plus years, I just want to say I thank you so much because I wouldn’t be me without y’all,” he expressed.