LeBron James has achieved a ton in his career, and each of his milestones, accolades, or silverware were celebrated by fans with an incessant fervor that has only magnified over the years. That was evident in the King’s latest history-making moment — his own Barbie Ken Doll.
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As part of Mattel’s ‘Kenbassador’ line, the toy company has honored James with a doll in his likeness to celebrate him as a role model and his ability as an icon to transcend culture and set a “positive example for the next generation”. James became the first professional male athlete to be honored as a Ken doll, which sells for $75.
And fans are on a mission now to get their hands on one. The demand for LeBron’s Ken doll is so high that people have resorted to camping outside the Undefeated store in Fairfax to ensure they wouldn’t be late for the official launch.
ABC News was on-site to interview a few of the fans in the long queue. Because of a limited supply of only 300 dolls, the fans, keen to get their hands on it, decided to wait in the open overnight rather than miss out.
“Fans camped for 14 hours,” reported one fan page on X. Well, it turned out to be true as the line extended down the street.
“We came yesterday, a good little 14 hours, and uh, about to get my LeBron doll,” one fan said. “It was worth it.”
James mania seems to be at an all-time high at the moment. The 22-year NBA veteran has found himself catapulted into meme culture notoriety over the past few months. His Ken doll launch further illustrated the scale James Mania has reached.
Fans camped for 14 hours to get the new LeBron Ken doll 🤯
pic.twitter.com/sto6VuKCnQ— 🎭 (@MaskedInLA) April 13, 2025
From songs like ‘You are my sunshine’ to a Michael Jackson-inspired ‘Man on the Lakers,’ James is almost being worshipped as his career enters its last stages. Talk about impact!
James’ initial reactions to the doll
Despite having a huge say in the design of the doll, James’ reaction upon seeing the finished product conveyed nothing but excitement and pure joy. In a video posted by the Associated Press’ YouTube channel, James gave his impressions while holding the doll for the first time.
“Oh, my goodness. Oh, he [is] dope,” said LeBron. “That’s so cool!”
The doll has subtle nods to all his most valuable partnerships, including Nike shoes and Beats by Dre headphones. It also features a personal touch, with ‘BBZ’ and ‘James Gang’ written on his shoes, a nod to his children, Bronny, Bryce, and Zhuri, and his family name.
James also joked about his doll being slightly leaner than he is, and that it may have to hit the gym to regain some of his famed muscle mass. And it was clear from his reactions that the doll means a lot to the 20x All-NBA legend.
