Candace Parker Understands Savannah James’ Pain, Says Zhuri James’ 6 am Volleyball Practices Not for the Weak

LeBron James and his wife, Savannah, understand the difficulties that come with raising sons who are into basketball. However, Savannah is learning firsthand the sacrifices needed as her daughter, Zhuri, continues to pursue volleyball. WNBA legend Candace Parker voiced her understanding of Savannah’s pain as a mother of a volleyball player.

Over the past few months, Savannah’s been occupied at basketball games to support her two sons, Bronny and Bryce. But they’re not the only athletes in the James family. On Sunday afternoon, Savannah took to her Instagram to share a post of Zhuri competing on her volleyball team. In the caption of the post, Savannah revealed the early 6 a.m. start time of the tournament. The post captioned,

“Back at it, in a new way!!! 6 am start this beautiful Sunday. Let’s go Zhuri!!”

The post consisted of a video montage showcasing Zhuri’s highlights. In the comments, loved ones and fans expressed their words of encouragement to Savannah and Zhuri. However, Parker expressed the relatability of the sacrifice of being a mother of a daughter in volleyball. She said,

“Yeaaaaaaa your are a volleyball mom!!! Welcome! It’s not for the weak. Early starts always.”

Similar to Savannah and LeBron, Candace has three children. Parker’s eldest child, Lailaa Nicole Williams, is the volleyball player of the family. Lailaa is Parker’s daughter with former NBA player and ex-husband Shelden Williams.

Volleyball practices tend to be early mornings due to court availability in the afternoons being reserved for sports such as basketball. Parker empathized with Savannah, considering she’s experienced the sacrifice of sleep to support her daughter’s goals, the same way Savannah has.

Moreover, Savannah has developed a great balance between her family life and her own endeavors. She doesn’t favor one child over the other and makes time to show up for each of her children, regardless of the occasion. However, her daughter continues to inspire her to be more daily.

Zhuri inspires Savannah daily

Savannah is continually trying to do the best she can for her children. However, like any person, there are times when the mother of three doubts if she’s done enough. It only took seven words from her daughter, Zhuri to spark greater inspiration.

Savannah joined the ‘Tamron Hall Show’ as a guest and discussed the realization of the extent of how much Zhuri looks up to her. She detailed a moment three years ago when Zhuri came to her and said, “I want to be just like you.”

Following those words from her daughter, Savannah took an introspective analysis of herself. She realized that there was so much more she could do as a mother. At that moment, she vowed to never grow complacent and continue to be a strong role model for her children.