LeBron James and his wife, Savannah, have been together since they were in high school

PHOTO: PHILLIP FARAONE/GETTY

LeBron James’ wife, Savannah James, has been by his side since high school.

The couple, who hails from Akron, Ohio, got married in 2013 and have three children together: LeBron “Bronny” James Jr., Bryce Maximus and Zhuri Nova.

As LeBron’s NBA career has skyrocketed through the years, the basketball legend — known by fans as King James — has made it abundantly clear that he’d be “absolutely nothing” without his queen in his corner.

In July 2023, LeBron honored his wife at the ESPYs when he received the award for best record-breaking performance after becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer — surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. “For our family, no one has sacrificed more and more hard work to support this family more than you and I appreciate you for that, love you,” he told his wife.

Even though she gets “a little bit clammy” when she hits the red carpet or appears on TV, Savannah has been making a name for herself in her own right with her personal business ventures and her passion for giving back to young people.

Keep reading to learn more about LeBron’s high school sweetheart, Savannah James.

She and LeBron met as teenagers

In 2018, Savannah told Cleveland Magazine that she first met her future husband when she was a 16-year-old high school sophomore — LeBron was a year older and attended a rival school. She recalled that he’d asked a friend for her phone number, but she decided to take his number instead. “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,’ ” she said.

LeBron invited her to one of his basketball games, and the pair linked up with friends to go to Applebee’s afterward. Their first solo date, at Outback Steakhouse, came a few weeks later.

Savannah knew it was love pretty quickly, telling Harper’s Bazaar in 2010: “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.”

She’s the youngest of five children

The Ohio native grew up with four other siblings. Her parents instilled a spirit of generosity and kindness in their children, with Savannah telling Cleveland Magazine that her mom, Jennifer, and dad, JK, always had an open-door policy with their children’s friends. “If they had something going on at home, or they just needed a safe haven, my mom and dad always opened up their doors,” she shared.

She doesn’t enjoy being in the spotlight

SAVANNAH JAMES INSTAGRAM

Though she’s now part of a power couple, Savannah told Harper’s Bazaar she finds fame “kind of weird.” She said, “I’ve always been in the background. Now that magazines and the paparazzi are taking pictures of me, it’s kind of weird. I never thought it would get to this magnitude, but clearly I was mistaken.”

She echoed those sentiments to Cleveland Magazine, adding, “When you want me to be on a TV show or walk the red carpet or something, I definitely get a little bit clammy. That’s a bit out of my comfort zone.”

She shares three children with LeBron

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During Savannah’s senior year — and LeBron’s rookie year in the NBA — the couple had an unplanned pregnancy with their first child, LeBron “Bronny” James Jr., who was born on Oct. 6, 2004. Of the experience, she told Harper’s Bazaar, “I was thinking, ‘What am I going to tell my parents? What’s going to happen to his career?’ I was very scared. I was bawling. But [LeBron] 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.’ “

Bronny was joined by baby brother Bryce on June 14, 2007, and sister Zhuri Nova on Oct. 22, 2014.

Now a teenager, Bronny has shown real promise as a basketball player and his proud parents are happy to support his athletic endeavors. On Jan. 11, 2023, LeBron and Savannah attended their oldest child’s senior night game. Bryce was on the court as well and Zhuri watched from the stands.

Four months later, Bronny committed to play basketball at the University of Southern California. The young athlete had only just started practices with his new team when he suffered from cardiac arrest during a workout in July.

The following day, a representative for the James family explained: “Medical staff was able to treat Bronny and take him to the hospital. He is now in stable condition and no longer in ICU.”

She’s committed to giving back

In 2017, Savannah launched her mentorship program Women of Our Future, which provides one-on-one counseling and support for young girls in Akron, as she explained to Cleveland Magazine. She also spoke at the Akron Community Foundation’s “For Women, Forever” event and was an honorary chair for the YWCA of Greater Cleveland’s Circle fundraiser, both in 2018.

Since 2013, she has run the annual I PROM-ise Makeover event, offering local Akron students the chance to score prom attire and accessories for free.

“I’m still a very private person,” she told Cleveland Magazine. “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.”

She runs the James household

In 2017, LeBron told Vogue that Savannah is in charge of managing the lives of the couple’s three kids because of his busy schedule. “I’m gone a lot, so she is the boss of the household; she’s the rule-setter,” he said. “It’s hard for me to go on the road for two and half weeks and then come home and tell my kids, ‘Look, this is how it should be done,’ when she’s been home every day.”

She has enjoyed career success on her own and with LeBron

While the family was in Miami during LeBron’s tenure with the Miami Heat, Savannah ran The Juice Spot, a juicery in the Brickell neighborhood, which she closed after two years when the family moved back to Cleveland.

Together, the couple also launched their own furniture line with American Signature called Home Court by LeBron James, as reported by Business Insider.

LeBron leans on her for support

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LeBron has praised Savannah multiple times over the years, both in interviews and on social media. As he told Harper’s Bazaar in 2010: “A person like myself always needs a great sidekick and a person you can rely on no matter the circumstances. And she’s that. She’s got my back and I love her for that.”

In September 2022, LeBron celebrated nine years of his supportive marriage by sharing a glamorous photo of himself and Savannah from a Vanity Fair shoot. He captioned the Instagram Story, “Queen,” and added, “P.S. YOU SO DAMN SEXY! WOW,” along with heart and drooling face emojis.

Savannah also marked the special day on Instagram, sharing an adorable photo of the couple toasting with friends. “9 years down(21), forever to go!!,” she wrote in the caption. “Cheers to us my love!!🥂Happy Anniversary!!💕#JamesGang.”

She was on the May/June 2023 cover of The Cut

In May 2023, The Cut released Savannah’s cover story. The mom-of-three talked candidly about why she didn’t seek fame and notoriety as a young NBA wife and how she’s accepting that this is her moment to “be seen” by the public.

“That time, to be honest, was spent pouring into my boys. I just really wanted to enjoy being a mom and supporting my husband. I wasn’t super-comfortable with putting myself out like that,” she said.

More recently, Savannah has taken a step into the spotlight — making more public appearances and posting more regularly on social media. The outlet asked her what it’s like to have people “thirsting” for her in the Instagram comments.

“I appreciate it. Everyone wants to see that people are interested in what they’re doing at the time,” Savannah responded. “Sometimes I’m like, ‘Oh, my gosh, a little bit much.’ But I get it and I’m cool with it. I understood that maybe this is just where I’m at right now and this is my time to, I don’t know, be seen.”

Savannah also addressed LeBron’s motto that “he would be nothing without” his wife.

“It’s very nice to hear that the sacrifices that you’ve made and the work that you’ve put into making sure that our children are raised properly and that he has a stable environment that’s full of love and good vibes and all the things — it’s a testament to be told that,” she said. “I think it’s a testament to myself to be like, ‘Yeah, thank you. I did that.’ “

She and LeBron enjoy dressing up on Halloween

In October 2023, the couple dressed up as characters from the 1988 film Beetlejuice. LeBron, in a retro red suit and crazy hair, went as the titular character, while Savannah, who was painted blue and wore a bright red wig, went as Miss Argentina.

She hosts a podcast

Savannah and her longtime friend April McDaniel launched the podcast Everybody’s Crazy on April 30, 2024. Together, they field calls from fans and offer advice about “crazy” situations.

“It’s freeing because it allows me to show a side of my personality,” the mom of three told PEOPLE. “We are both very private and I’ve been very private and kind of played the background this far in my husband’s career. But I am excited to venture off into new things, we’re going into new phases of our lives.”