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Although fans were anxiously waiting for LeBron James to make his Met Gala debut, the NBA star did not make an appearance on the red carpet tonight, despite serving as an honorary chair for the event.
He revealed that he wouldn’t be in attendance mere hours before the carpet began, turning to X, where he wrote, “Unfortunately because of my knee injury I sustained at the end of the season I won’t be able to attend the Met Gala in NY tonight as so many people have been asking and congratulating me on! Hate to miss an historical event! My beautiful powerful Queen will be there holding the castle down as she always has done!”
Unfortunately because of my knee injury I sustained at the end of the season I won’t be able to attend the Met Gala in NY tonight as so many people have been asking and congratulating me on! Hate to miss an historical event! My beautiful powerful Queen will be there holding the…
— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 5, 2025
The queen in question was of course his wife, Savannah James, who showed up to the event in a burgundy pinstriped mermaid dress from Hanifa, which offered up a playfully feminine spin on suiting.
The dress code of the night was “Tailored for You,” and James was chosen as part of a stylish roster of men—including Pharrell Williams, Lewis Hamilton, Colman Domingo, and A$AP Rocky—who all served as celebrity co-chairs for the evening, and who all exemplify the theme that steers the coinciding Met exhibit: “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”
While this would have been his first Met Gala, the Lakers player has displayed a keen eye for style and a willingness to step outside the box all throughout his career.
Early on, he was often grabbing headlines for the sharp suits and eye-popping jewelry he sported in the NBA entrance tunnels, and since, James has expanded his sartorial tastes, becoming more willing to experiment with colorful prints, unusual textures, and flashy sneaker collabs (that he’s often had a hand in).
“King James” may be a master at gameplay, but he doesn’t play around when it comes to his fashion. Here’s hoping we’ll get to see him grace the Met steps sometime in the near future.
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