LeBron James just made history again—this time, off the court. The NBA superstar has been unveiled as the latest “Kenbassador,” becoming the first male athlete to receive his own official Ken doll. The collector’s edition figurine will retail for $75 and will drop first via Mattel Creations, before hitting Amazon and other major retailers a day later.
While LeBron hasn’t publicly commented on the doll yet, he’s joining an elite group of public figures immortalized in Barbie form—celebrities like Alicia Keys, Issa Rae, and Naomi Osaka have all received the honor.
The release also aligns with a major milestone: the 45th anniversary of the first Black Barbie, a groundbreaking doll designed by fashion visionary Kitty Black Perkins. Reflecting on that historic moment, Perkins shared last year with People how the idea finally came to life.
“There was always talk about doing a Black doll,” she recalled. “This took on a life of its own… the VP of marketing at the time, Steve Nelson, came to me and said, ‘Kitty, what do you think about us actually doing a Black Barbie?’ I told him, ‘I think it’s absolutely fantastic, and we’ve been wanting to do that for years.’ And he said, ‘Well, I think it’s about time.’”
Now, with LeBron stepping into the Barbie universe, it’s clear that the legacy of representation—and greatness—is still growing.