Zhuri James turned 12 on Thursday, October 22, and spent the evening courtside with her mom, Savannah James, watching her dad, LeBron James, and the Philadelphia 76ers take on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The family gathered at Xfinity Mobile Arena for LeBron’s first home game with the Sixers, where Zhuri received a birthday shout-out on the Jumbotron.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZHURI!” flashed across the screen in white letters against a blue background. Savannah shared the moment on her Instagram Stories, adding three blue heart emojis.
A video posted jointly by the NBA and LeBron’s Instagram account showed Zhuri smiling and waving from her seat as the camera turned to her. Dressed in a Sixers jersey over a white long-sleeved top and jeans, she held blue-and-white cotton candy in her lap.
The words “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Z!” appeared across the clip, while the caption read, “Happy 12th Birthday, Zhuri James!”
Her parents also celebrated her on social media. Savannah posted a photo collage of her daughter, writing, “Happiest Birthday Zhuri Nova!!!!”
LeBron followed with a photo on his Instagram Stories and a message that read, “HBD PRINCESS !! Love you Mama Face!!!”
Zhuri may be a familiar face at her father’s games, but the 12-year-old is a volleyball player herself. LeBron frequently supports her from the sidelines and shared a video in February of her spiking the ball during a match.
That same month, she drew attention for her basketball skills while attending one of his road games. When reporters asked about her playing, LeBron explained that volleyball was her focus and joked about Savannah watching another child follow him into basketball.
“She’s a volleyball player, don’t get my wife mad. My wife is done with basketball, she’s done with it,” he said.
Both of Zhuri’s older brothers, Bronny, 22, and Bryce, 19, play basketball. She is LeBron and Savannah’s youngest child and only daughter.
