LeBron James is opening up about a chapter of his life that even his most loyal fans rarely hear about, offering a glimpse into his early years with wife Savannah James. The couple, who met as teenagers in Akron, Ohio, have been together for more than two decades, but LeBron recently revealed what it was really like navigating love, family, and fatherhood before his NBA superstardom took off, People reports.

During an appearance on Everybody’s Crazy, a Dear Media podcast co-hosted by Savannah and April McDaniel, the four-time NBA champion got candid about what it meant to start a family at just 19. “Having a baby at a young age and us moving in together was different for me,” LeBron said in a clip shared with PEOPLE. “My wife comes from a two-parent household and siblings in the house. I don't come from that. It was my mom and my uncles and friends just coming in and out. So, me settling down, giving her the key or the garage door code, that was different, bro.”

The comment struck a chord with both Savannah and listeners. LeBron wasn’t just talking about adjusting to adulthood; he was describing what it meant to break a pattern. Growing up surrounded by instability, he admitted that moving in with Savannah and building a family required him to redefine what “home” looked like.

A Love That Grew with the Game

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LeBron and Savannah welcomed their first son, LeBron “Bronny” James Jr., in 2004, a year after LeBron was drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. They married in 2013 and went on to have two more children, Bryce Maximus and Zhuri Nova. What began as a teenage romance evolved into one of sports’ most admired partnerships, grounded in mutual respect and shared growth.

Savannah shared on the podcast that becoming a mother at 18 was “the riskiest thing” she had ever done. LeBron, who described himself as a “five out of ten” risk-taker in business, said that while he’s cautious financially, choosing to start a family young felt like the ultimate gamble and his greatest reward.

McDaniel lightened the mood by asking LeBron how old he was back then. “Nineteen… like 53 years ago,” he joked, as laughter filled the room from guests Kai Cenat, Fanum, and Travis Bennett.

Now 40, LeBron James reflected on how far that risk has taken him, from Akron to global icon status, from a young father learning on the fly to playing alongside his eldest son in the NBA. In 2024, the two made history as the first father and son to share an NBA court, turning what once felt uncertain into something unforgettable.