Savannah James is that woman. She adds value to whatever room she walks into. She’s regal but perfectly connected to the culture. She’s unimpressed with fame despite leading a home of three already-famous kids and a husband that happens to be one of the greatest NBA players of all time. And she has one of the most beautiful love stories in the world of sports today.
As we all know, Savannah is married to megastar LeBron James and has been for a near decade (the couple has been together for nearly two decades altogether). She has stood by his side since they were in high school and cheered him all the way to the history books, where he now resides as the all-time leading scorer—a career accomplishment that will take generations to break.
But even with her being the leading lady of arguably one of the most famous men in history, Savannah likes to keep a low profile. Every now and then, she’ll pop out and collectively break the internet, as she does so effortlessly, which honestly, is one of my favorite things about scrolling Beyoncé’s internet, but outside of what she shows us, we don’t know much about her. Until now.
Here are 7 fun facts about LeBron’s greatest accomplishment:
Savannah made the first move to go on a date with LeBron.
Savannah resides on the top level of bosses, and this even rings true in her relationship. She and LeBron were set up by a mutual friend, who told her that LeBron asked for her number, to which she simply replied "nope," and said she would take his number instead. She shared the story with Cleveland Magazine in 2018, explaining 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 by her prom, she was pregnant with LBJ Jr, whom the couple welcomed in 2004.
LeBron credits Savannah for his success.
This season, the world watched as LeBron officially became the all-time leading scorer in the NBA, a record previously held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. But if you ask him, all credit goes to his wife, who he revealed that without her support, none of it would be possible, then ultimately giving her credit for the record and calling her the MVP. *swoons*
And although Savannah obviously appreciates the gesture, she says that LeBron going out of his way to shout her out, is all too common, telling Cleveland Magazine, “He is truly a king to his queen, if you will. He treats me with so much respect—I mean, it’s hard to not love him, with the way that he is with me and the kids and his mom and just everyone who’s around him. He’s a really, really humble guy for everything that he has and everything that he’s done.”
"You did that s--t." 😂
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 8, 2023
Savannah gave LeBron his flowers last night 💐
(via @Banks) pic.twitter.com/6zQueczcdO
Beyoncé AND Jay-Z performed at their wedding.
The two love birds met in high school. Savannah was a cheerleader at a rival high school when LeBron James saw her at a football game. Twelve years later, the couple decided to tie the knot in an ultra-extravagant ceremony in San Diego in front of 200 friends, family, and stars from the sports world bearing witness.
According to US Weekly, the three-day celebration was reported to have set the couple back a whopping $10 million and featured a surprise performance of "Crazy in Love" by the Carters.
Savannah opened a smoothie shop in 2013.
When LeBron ‘’took his talents to South Beach,” Savannah decided to get her entrepreneur coins and opened a uber popular smoothie shop called The Juice Spot. While her shop was constantly busy, the endeavor closed in January 2016, due to her busy schedule, and ultimately due to the family relocating to Cleveland.
And she is committed to giving back.
The Jameses have been focused on philanthropic work in their hometown of Akron, Ohio as well as in every city they have called home during LeBron’s 20-year NBA career.
In 2017, Savannah launched her mentorship program, Women of Our Future through the LeBron James Foundation, which provides one-on-one counseling and support for young women in Akron.
She also ran an annual ‘I PROMise Makeover’ event that gives Akron students the opportunity to select free prom clothes, shoes, and accessories. This event is tied to her husband’s school, which she is also heavily involved in
Flex.
Savannah has a blog and YouTube channel with the couple's 8-year-old daughter Zhuri, called All Things Zhuri.
Everyone’s favorite James family member is made for TV, which Savannah took notice of and decided to create a channel alongside her adorable 8-year-old daughter, Zhuri.
The series, titled All Thinks Zhuri, gives us a rare glimpse of our favorite family through the lens of the true boss of the family, whether Zhuri is hanging with dad, showing off her haircare routine, or hosting movie night screenings, although Savannah generally leaves most of the hosting up to her mini-me.
Savannah previously toldEssence that when it comes to sharing details of her family life, she does what feels best as she prefers to stay private. “With all the social media outlets, I feel like I have the choice to show you what I want to show you. I have a good time with my kids. I love to turn on music and we all dance in the living room together. But you’ll never see me. I will not post me dancing.”
She knows she has a “dope family.”
Last fall, the James family stopped to pose a few flicks for a spread inVanity Fair alongside her live-in parents and LeBron’s mother, Gloria James. Dressed to the nines, posing in front of classic cars, sitting around the table, or in the pool stunting with retro-chic sunglasses, Savannah served as the real-time creative director of the shoot, marveling at the wealthy, healthy melanated legacy she had created in front of her.
Vanity Fair mentions that she wanted the session to recognize and reflect the bonds underlying the family’s influence, and show the world their center of gravity. She then said what we were all thinking: “Excuse my language, but we a dope family.”
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Featured image by Emma McIntyre/WireImage