LeBron James made it clear Sunday night that his daughter, Zhuri Nova James, is charting her own athletic path, and it doesn’t include basketball. Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ 129-101 win over the Sacramento Kings on March 1, the 41-year-old addressed a viral social media clip that showed his 11-year-old daughter casually handling a basketball on the sideline.
“She’s a volleyball player,” James responded when asked whether Zhuri had aspirations of following in the family’s footsteps. “Don’t get my wife mad. My wife is done with this basketball sh*t. She’s done with it.”
While acknowledging that Zhuri has grown up around the game and naturally picked up some skills, James reiterated that volleyball is her focus.
“She’s a volleyball player, but she’s been around the game for a while,” James said. “She got good handles, and she got a good form, too. But my wife ain’t playin that. Not another one. She said, ‘That’s it.’”
Zhuri is the youngest child of James and his wife, Savannah James. The couple’s two sons are already deeply involved in basketball. Bronny James, 21, is currently on the Lakers’ roster and has seen limited minutes this season, while 18-year-old Bryce James is redshirting his freshman year at the University of Arizona.
LeBron James on Zhuri potentially playing basketball one day 💀
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 1, 2026
“She’s a volleyball player. Don’t get my wife mad. My wife is done with this basketball sh*t. She’s done with it. She’s a volleyball player but she’s been around the game for a while. She got good handles and a good… https://t.co/rpWwMJKaaC pic.twitter.com/ptOHGeweOb
James has previously revealed that Savannah has encouraged him to start thinking about life after basketball. In a June Instagram Story clip alongside former teammate Kevin Love, he shared, “Savannah wants me to f–king retire in the next year or so.”
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Despite that, James continues to produce on the court. The Lakers legend is averaging 21.6 points, seven rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game for the side, who hold a 36-24 record and sit sixth in the Western Conference standings.
Savannah James Reinforces Daughter’s Volleyball Future
Savannah James reinforced her daughter’s athletic direction hours after her husband’s postgame remarks. On March 2, she shared an Instagram Story featuring a video from one of Zhuri’s recent volleyball games and clarified her stance.
“Yeah, it’s a no,” she said while adding a silly emoji. “We’ll be over here.”
Zhuri had traveled with her father to Northern California over the weekend. Before tipoff against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, she displayed ballhandling skills, made a trick shot and connected on an alley-oop with her father, prompting renewed questions about her athletic future.
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LeBron James again emphasized that Zhuri would not be pursuing basketball like her father and brothers. He continues to play in his 23rd NBA season while balancing family commitments as his children pursue their respective sports.
