When LeBron James came to the NBA as the No. 1 draft pick in 2003, a lot of the pundits questioned whether he would live up to the hype he established as a high school superstar at St. Vincent–St. Mary in Akron, Ohio.
Now, 16 years later, that question has been answered repeatedly, and not only has James surpassed expectations, he’s been called either second behind Michael Jordan as the best basketball player ever or even better than the Hall of Famer.
Plus, some might say James hasn’t disappointed off the court either and has remained a class act.
Because he’s given back to his community through his nonprofit the LeBron James Family Foundation, and in 2018 he opened his I Promise School for at-risk third and fourth graders in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.
But James would probably be the first to tell you that he’s not a solo act, and he wouldn’t be so successful without his wife Savannah Brinson James. In fact, that’s exactly what the Los Angeles Laker wrote Thursday on Instagram, and he thanked his wife for always being there for him.
“The only reason why I can do what I do at the highest level both on and off the floor is because my best friend got my back regardless the outcome!” wrote James next to a photo of himself and Savannah. “I’m just the car, she’s the engine! Appreciate you Wonder Woman aka Queen 👸🏽! @mrs_savannahrj ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️.”
His wife then responded by posting six heart emojis.
Lebron James with family
The couple were high school sweethearts and reportedly had their first date at Outback Steakhouse. They jumped the broom in September 2013 at the Grand Del Mar Hotel in San Diego, Calif.
Some of the guests included his good friend Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union and NeYo. Plus, Jay-Z and Beyoncé sang “Crazy in Love” at the reception.
And when James shared a photo from the secret ceremony in 2013, he wrote something almost identical to what he wrote in his recent Instagram post praising his wife.
“When u have someone that’s always there for you no matter the ups and downs in life, it makes it all worth living for! So happy to call u Mrs. Savannah James #MyQueen #Backbone #QueenJames #Honeymoon,” James captioned the photo back then.
The couple has three kids together, sons LeBron James Jr., who goes by Bronny, Bryce James, and daughter Zhuri James. And underneath the newly posted photo, the hoop star’s fans expressed how much they loved his message.
“I love your love for each other ❤️❤️,” someone wrote.
“The goat on and off the court,” another person commented.
“The real brains behind his glory! She’s the 🐐!” wrote a third.
@kingjames Instagram