The energy in the bustling city of Shanghai was electric with anticipation, but a collective gasp and a wave of awe replaced the noise as LeBron James, the man they call King, stepped onto the stage at the House of King James, a space designed to honor his monumental legacy. His powerful aura commanded the space, leaving the crowd in a state of stunned admiration. In front of a striking display of 23 key moments from his career — with fans getting a sneak peek at upcoming sneaker capsules and releases — LeBron stood to reflect on a journey that has evolved from a game into a legacy. He was not just here to unveil the LeBron 23, a shoe that represents his 23rd season, but to reflect on a life-defining journey. While the world sees him as a basketball icon and even a cultural architect, for LeBron, the foundation of his monumental success is, and has always been, family.His definition of success has shifted from championships and records to the happiness of his kids. He explained that his journey is intrinsically tied to the love and support of his family. The core values instilled in him as a kid from Akron have shaped him into a global icon, yet he remains grounded in the life lessons he hopes to pass on to his three children.For LeBron, the game of basketball is a profound extension of his family. It is a tool for storytelling, a way to connect with communities around the world, and a vehicle to inspire a new generation. In his eyes, to be a true champion is to lift others, to use your platform for good, and to build a legacy that is bigger than yourself. “It would be a failure,” he said, if his legacy were only about him.Hypebeast sat down with LeBron James in an exclusive conversation where he reflected on his journey and discussed the core values that have defined his legacy.Hypebeast: You’re launching the LeBron 23 here in Shanghai ahead of your 23rd season, a perfect convergence of numbers. Can you tell us what this shoe means to you?LeBron James: This shoe represents hard work, dedication and just unbelievable storytelling throughout my career, throughout my journey. It’s for all my fans and everybody who has been a part of this journey. The No. 23 is a big number for me and we’re celebrating that moment.How does this shoe tell us the story of the evolution of basketball in the past two decades or so?When you talk about the evolution of basketball over the last two decades plus, I’ve been a part of it. I’ve seen the game change and change, all for the greater good. For me being here from a Zoom generation in 2003 to now, the LeBron 23s in 2026, it’s pretty cool. It’s going to be an unbelievable year and sometimes I’m at a lost for words. Just being able to sit here, holding my own signature line shoe, and to think of 23 of them… that’s pretty unique and epic.How have each colorway represented a key moment from your journey, and which of those moments was the most defining for you?Right now, the colorway you’re looking at is “Uncharted.” This is 40K, something that hadn’t been done in NBA history, and I was able to eclipse 40,000 points. The whole gold aspect is monumental and beautiful. The colorway gives speckles of beautiful royalty blue, royalty gold, royalty green.We have 23 colorways this year with 23 great stories. Every story is a point in time throughout my career that was meaningful — they could be an on-court moment or an off-court moment. It was incredibly hard to only pick 23 and there’s some that I wish still made it, but it didn’t, and that’s still okay, because we have a lot of time left still. But I’m just looking forward for anyone who’s been a part of my journey to continue to be a part of my journey. Some of the capsules that we’re going to have… they’re going to be super exciting and I’m super stoked.You’ve consistently reinvented yourself on the court, from the prodigy to the leader, to now, the elder statesman. Looking back to your roots in Akron, what’s a core lesson from that time that has stayed with you and helped you navigate this entire journey?I don’t leave my household without taking every lesson I’ve learned from my home city of Akron, Ohio. I mean Akron literally raised me every single day. I would never forget being that small kid growing up in the inner city of Akron and the hardships. The adverse moments that I had growing up were what shaped me today. It’s part of the reason why everyone around the globe knows who I am. But it started in that small town of Akron, Ohio. So it is a part of my DNA, and it will never, ever leave me. It’s just a part of my journey for the rest of my life.How do moments like this, connecting with fans in Shanghai, influence your perspective on your own legacy and its reach beyond the NBA?My journey is not just about me. That’s why I’ve always liked to pay respect to other places that have been a part of this train ride with me. As an inner city kid from Akron, Ohio, to be able to come to Shanghai, China, and be able to inspire the youth here, and inspire people here, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of miles away, is so humbling, and it’s so cool.It’s so refreshing to be able to be in that position. So I hold that responsibility… and I don’t want to say pressure, because it’s not pressure… I hold it was so much pride, that responsibility, because I understand the journey is not just about me.You are more than a basketball player; you’ve become a cultural architect. When you reflect on your monumental impact, what part of the culture you’ve helped build do you hope leaves the most lasting impression?Wow, which part of the culture that I hope I’ve made the most impact? I will say the community part, the philanthropic part. To be able to go into communities, especially mine, because I know how important it is for me, but going into communities and just changing the way it looked yesterday for the greater good.I also want to continue to do great storytelling, you know, with our company, Uninterrupted, SpringHill, we want to continue to do great storytelling that can hit homes in people’s houses. It makes you just feel warm inside from a positive aspect. I also want to continue to inspire my own household — my three beautiful kids who are super excited about what life has ahead of them. I hope I’m there to just be a guide and be a support system for everybody… my kids, my wife, my mom and everybody. I hope that when my legacy is talked about, it’s more than just me. It would be a failure if it were just about me.The world watches as your sons, Bronny and Bryce, begin their own basketball journeys. What do you hope they learn from your many years in the league?I think when it comes to individuality, you have to be able to carve out what you want your journey to be like. I hope they can take some things from my journey, but I think everybody’s walk to success or walk to fulfillment is different. So I just hope that in the time that I’ve been able to do what I’ve been able to do, that they’ve watched so much that it’s been instilled in them to be kind, work hard, determined, know how to handle adversity, and also just be you.I think we are all individuals. Nobody can be you. People can try. People can say that you should be this person, whatever. But ultimately, the best you can be is being you. And I hope they understand that that is more important than anything.You’ve accomplished more than a lot of people have in their lifetimes and you have enjoyed success at the highest levels. Looking back at what you determined as success at the beginning of your career, has that definition now changed? What is success for LeBron James now?Wow. It definitely has changed from when I started. I mean, I’ve added a couple more kids to the nest, so my definition of success is how my kids succeed in life and what their journey looks like, and that their mom and their dad have given them all the goals and the core values and the life lessons to be able to take that into the real world and be successful and to be happy. That’s success for me.
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