LeBron James and his wife have been married for twelve years and have three wonderful children together. It all happened on Dec 31st, 2011, when the NBA superstar got down on one knee and asked his girlfriend – Savannah Brinson, to marry him. However, there is more to the story. In the book – “LeBron Inc.: Making of a Billion-Dollar Athlete“, the author Brian Windhorst talks about how LeBron took the next step in his relationship.
Advertisement
The now-four-time NBA champion moved from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Miami Heat in 2010. His family was staying in Akron, Ohio, and decided to stay back when the player had to move to Miami. It was the first time James was not around his family, and it did not feel right to him. Here is an excerpt from the book where the author talks about the same – “When he came back for the 2011-12 season he had a new outlook on life. In that first season in Miami, his girlfriend and two sons didn’t join him, instead staying back in Akron. He saw them but not as often as he’d been used to.”
The NBA superstar had teamed up with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to win an NBA championship but had fallen short in his first season. However, what bothered him more was his family not being around. He decided to ask his wife to move to Miami, along with their two sons – Bronny and Bryce. The author writes, “When it came time to start the new season, he asked her to move to Miami so he could reunite the family. She agreed but under two conditions: that he make a commitment to her and that her parents come with her because she wanted her boys to be near their grandparents. On New Year’s Eve 2011, LeBron got down on one knee and proposed to Savannah Brinson. Her parents moved into his house with her.
Savannah wanted to ensure the NBA player was serious about a future with her and their sons. She wanted LeBron to commit to the relationship before deciding to move the family to a new city. However, that was not the only condition Savvnah put in front of the NBA player. She also wanted her parents to join her in Miami so the kids could grow up near their grandparents. LeBron James welcomed the conditions wholeheartedly as he started to plan his grand proposal to the love of his life.
To most, it may have seemed like a massive responsibility, especially at the early age of 25 years old. However, James had always been adamant about having a happy family of his own. So, the NBA star was hardly fazed by his girlfriend’s prerequisites.
LeBron James’ proposal to Savannah Brinson
Now that Savannah had put down her conditions, it was up to LeBron James to make the next move. He had to plan a proposal for his girlfriend, which was worthy of his stature, while at the same time ensuring that his better half gets the surprise of her life. In 2012, James’ teammate – Dwayne Wade, revealed the different tactics LeBron used to plan the perfect proposal and how he played a major role in the event.
On Dec 31st, 2011, LeBron James was decked up for a New Year’s party along with his teammates including the likes of Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Just when the clock hit midnight, the player was on one knee while Wade carried the ring for his teammate. In an article by SLAM, Wade talked about the moment and said, “They’ve been together for a while. I’m sure they had many discussions of marriage and the possibility. So I thought he did a good job of catching her when she least expected it even if she did expect it. He kind of caught her in a moment right after New Year’s after we all did the countdown when everybody was (yelling), ‘Happy New Year.’ Then he got her. So it was good. To me, it felt like he was on his knee for an hour. It probably was like 35 seconds. It was great.”
Chris Bosh described the moment as ‘Beautiful’ and stated that LeBron had around ten players on standby for the event. They also celebrated the superstar’s birthday the same night, and it was a moment to cherish for the power couple. Since then, they have added to the family with the birth of their daughter -Zhuri James, and continue to be a big happy family.
