LeBron James Reflects How JAY-Z Has Impacted His Life

LeBron James has the entire sports world’s attention right now. As fans and media speculate as to where the 41-year-old NBA superstar will play next season, the former MVP is reflecting on how a fellow icon has impacted his life. In a conversation with Rich Kleiman on Thursday, July 16, during the CNBC Sport x Boardroom Game Plan Summit at Fanatics Fest NYC, LeBron spoke about JAY-Z’s influence and friendship.

James met the Brooklyn rap legend when a young LeBron was only 16. It was at a concert and LeBron and his friends were immediately struck by how Jay moved.  

“They were doing a show. He was on tour, met him there, and then not too long after that came to New York,” he recalled. “And if a lot of you guys remember, there was a game that was supposed to be played in New York, and the blackout happened, and it never happened. It still probably would have been one of the greatest games ever played [in] Rucker Park history. But the thing that me and my crew, we just — we really just watched Jay and how they moved and how he moved and it was like a sponge. We didn't say much. We didn't ask for much. We just sat there. 

“He moved how a person that knows who he is and what he brings to the table is supposed to move,” James said. “And from the business side, to the way he talked, to the way he greeted people. It was just an aura about him and a professionalism in his respective genre that we all kind of learned, and we all kind of took to this point now.”

Like James with his free agency, JAY-Z has dominated headlines this summer. In late May, he delivered a much-talked about performance at the 2026 Roots Picnic in Philadelphia; and in early July, he rocked New York City with celebrations of the Reasonable Doubt and Blueprint anniversaries at Yankee Stadium. 

“I say [Michael Jordan] was my biggest inspiration as far as basketball, but I never got an opportunity to hang with him or talk to him or whatever,” James went on to explain. “But Jay is like my big brother. He’s the one who’s given me so much game and has taught me so much. I’m always thinking about him any time I’m doing something business-wise or making a decision or whatever, thinking like, is this going to make him proud? Because he gave me so much game as a 16-year-old kid.”

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