A big congratulations is certainly in store for the Jameses! On September 14, 2021 LeBron and Savannah James celebrated their 8th wedding anniversary. Symbolically speaking, the 8th year in marriage is usually represented by bronze. A mixed metal, bronze is durable and stronger than copper and iron (two symbols of earlier wedding anniversaries), which is why it is traditionally gifted to couples who make it to this milestone.
The superstar athlete has been a force of nature on the basketball court and has the accolades to prove it, but something he also takes pride in is his relationship off the court with his long-time love and high school sweetheart, Savannah. So bronze is no doubt worth its weight in gold for this couple.
To commemorate their anniversary, LeBron shared photos from their wedding day on Instagram with the caption:
"Our own personal Met Gala 8 years ago. Happy Anniversary Queen!! Who am i w/o you in my corner, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Love you"
Savannah took to her own Instagram to share more candid photos of the couple with a heartwarming caption of her own punctuated with the hashtag #LookWhatWeDid:
"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!!"
LeBron and Savannah have a relationship that spans over two decades now. And though they are living and loving in the lifestyles of the rich and famous now, the couple had humble beginnings, including a first date that was at Outback Steakhouse in 2002.
Back then, LeBron was making a name for himself in football and basketball in Akron, Ohio while Savannah Brinson was a a cheerleader at a rival school. As the classic high school love story goes, the athlete and the cheerleader fell in love. Though Savannah acknowledged it wasn't love at first sight in an interview with Harper's Bazaar, she knew the potential for something more was being planted there, even at 16:
"I knew he loved me when I left my leftovers from dinner in his car. I'd totally forgotten about them, and he brought them to me. I think he just wanted another excuse to come and see me."
In 2003, LeBron would become a top pick for the NBA draft and would be selected to play for his home team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. It would be the beginning of a frutiful career in the NBA for the legendary King James. He'd go on to win Olympic gold medals, four NBA championships, four NBA Finals Most Valuable Player awards, four NBA Most Valuable Player awards -- and that's just the tip of the iceberg as far as accolades go.
2004 marked LeBron's rookie season in the NBA and would also be the year that LeBron and Savannah became parents. The couple welcomed their first child, a son named LeBron James, Jr. in October of that year. In regards to the surprise pregnancy, Savannah told Harper's Bazaar that she questioned how their lives would be impacted:
"I was very scared. I was bawling. But he (James) said, 'It's not going to slow me down, and it's not going to slow you down. We're going to keep doing what we have to do.'"
The couple would welcome their second son, Bryce Maximus James, on June 14, 2007. Three years later, in 2011, LeBron popped the question and proposed to his long-time love and the mother of his two sons, Savannah on New Year's Eve in France. He'd later tell Oprah Winfrey that deciding to propose was like "a finals game":
"I had been thinking about it, you know, for a while but it just came to me one day and I was like 'this is a part of growth for me.' This is I was like this is the lady and the woman I have been with through all the good and all the bad. She's been there for a long time and I wanted her to continue to be there with me, so I felt like at that moment it was time."
While it took nearly a decade for him to feel ready to propose, their engagement would only last two years. On September 14, 2013, LeBron and Savannah tied the knot amid a three-day star-studded wedding event. Guests included Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union, Chris Bosh, and La La Anthony. And the Jameses did it up big for their big day by getting Beyonce and Jay-Z to perform their collab hit "Crazy in Love" for their reception.
On October 22, 2014, Savannah gave birth to the couple's third child together. This time, a daughter named Zhuri Nova James. LeBron spoke candidly in 2018 about how becoming a girl dad made him a better man:
"I had two boys first, my oldest son, LeBron Jr., and my younger son, Bryce Maximus, and people always told me, if you ever have a girl she'll change you. Three years ago, this bright spot right here happened to our family. And not only did she change me, she's made me a better person. A more dedicated person, a stronger person. I guess a more sensitive person that realized that I have so much more of a responsibility to women in general. So, thank you, Zhuri."
Years later, for the couple's fifth wedding anniversary, LeBron kept the love train going by enlisting the help of singer Daniel Caesar to serenade Savannah with "Best Part" in the couple's living room. "Love you forever," LeBron captioned his Instagram story highlighting the surprise.
In an Instagram post commemorating their anniversary, LeBron clarified that though it was five years of marriage, it has been 18 years of being in a relationship for the lovebirds. "In all actuality going on 18 years. Happy Anniversary Queen," his caption read.
That same year, in a cover story with The Hollywood Reporter, LeBron shared his thoughts on the vital role his wife plays in his life. He credits a lot of his success to her and appreciates the fact that she was there when he had nothing else:
"But in all actuality, Savannah was with me shooting in the gym when I [had] absolutely nothing... [Savannah] was down when I was at my high school, no cameras, no lights. And she was there with me. You wouldn't be talking to me right now if it weren't for her."
LeBron is no stranger to shouting his love and devotion to Savannah from the rooftops for all the world to hear and see. Back in 2019, he penned a heartfelt message on Instagram to show his queen some much-needed appreciation just because:
"The only reason why I can do what I do at the highest level both on and off the floor is my because my best friend got my back regardless the outcome! I'm just the car, she's the engine! Appreciate you Wonder Woman aka Queen."
19 years and three children later, we're happy to see this Black love alive and thriving!
Congratulations LeBron and Savannah!
Featured image by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images