AKRON, Ohio — Mattel has announced that Barbie is releasing the first Ken doll of a professional athlete, which will be in the likeness of Akron native and NBA star LeBron James “to recognize his positive impact on culture, style and community.”
The new LeBron doll will drop at midnight on April 14 as part of the Barbie Signature Kenbassadors. It will be available at select Target stores, Target.com, Amazon, Walmart and Mattel Creations with the suggested retail price of $75.
The doll, which stands one inch taller than the standard Ken doll, features custom, larger packaging.
“James worked closely with the Barbie team to personalize his doll’s outfit, clad in a custom varsity jacket over the LeBron James Family Foundation’s signature We Are Family T-shirt, Nike Terminator High sneakers, Beats headphones, sunglasses, a fanny pack, a watch and his perennial ‘I Promise’ band,” according to a press release. “The patches on his varsity jacket reference milestones throughout his life, including a We Are Family patch as a tribute to the LeBron James Family Foundation, a 23 patch representing his iconic jersey number and an Ohio patch nodding to his hometown.”
Barbie is also making a donation to the LeBron James Family Foundation in Akron “to help inspire the limitless potential of every child and invest more resources to create generational change for the kids and families of James’ hometown.”
“As a young kid, I was fortunate to have role models who not only inspired me but also showed me what’s possible through hard work and dedication,” said LeBron James. “Now, as an adult, I understand how vital it is for young people to have positive figures to look up to. That’s why partnering with Barbie to release the LeBron James Kenbassadors doll is such an honor. It’s an opportunity to recognize the powerful impact of role models who instill confidence, inspire dreams, and show kids that they, too, can achieve greatness.”
Mattel is also set to donate a copy of James’ children’s book “I Am More Than” up to 5,000 copies to Save the Children for every LeBron doll sold at Target stores at Target.com between April 14-19.
