LeBron James didn’t hesitate when he was recently asked to name his favorite female athlete.
“My favorite woman athlete of all time besides my daughter? Zhuri Nova Ann-Marie James. I would say Serena Williams. So Serena Williams and Zhuri Nova,” he said.
The comment comes after Zhuri went viral online when she joined her father on the court before the Los Angeles Lakers’ Feb. 28 game against the Golden State Warriors. Video of the 10 year old dribbling the basketball and taking a few shots quickly circulated on social media, with many fans wondering whether the youngest James might eventually follow her family’s basketball path.
But according to LeBron, that is not the plan.
“She’s a volleyball player, don’t get my wife mad,” he joked after the game. “My wife is done with basketball, she’s done with it.”
Savannah James posted on her IG story after LeBron’s viral comments about her being “done with basketball.” She addressed whether she would let Zhuri play like her brothers and dad: pic.twitter.com/6OBnpcZSnb
— Rishi Rajpoot (@rishhaayy) March 2, 2026
He continued, “[Zhuri’s] a volleyball player. But she’s been around the game for a while, so she does got good handles and she’s good form, too. But my wife ain’t playing that. Not another one. She says that’s it.”
Zhuri is the youngest of LeBron and Savannah James’ three children. The couple also share sons Bronny and Bryce James, both of whom play basketball.
Bronny currently plays alongside his father for the Los Angeles Lakers, while Bryce is currently a freshman guard for the Arizona wildcats.
Zhuri, meanwhile, has competed in several AAU and regional volleyball events and trains with programs connected to City Volleyball Club, a Southern California organization known for producing players who continue on to the college level.
Earlier this month, LeBron shared a clip from one of her games on social media and wrote, “Let’s go Z!!!”
At about 5 foot 10 to 5 foot 11, she has already begun drawing attention from scouts who view her as a potential middle blocker or opposite hitter.
