LeBron James and the power of representation

LeBron James Kenbassador doll image courtesy Mattel. Inc.

ICYMI, LeBron James is the latest celebrity to have his image enshrined in Barbie (or rather) Ken doll form. The LeBron James Kenbassador doll dropped at $75 each on April 14th and immediately sold out… and they’re already showing up for more than $300 on eBay and StockX 😳

James is the first male pro athlete to become a Ken doll, and this is the first in a line of new Kenbassador dolls Mattel is releasing to celebrate Ken’s 65th anniversary. In a statement he said “…partnering with Barbie…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.”

Dropping a Ken doll during the NBA playoffs is a power move for sure! Clearly most folks aren’t buying a nearly $100 doll for daily play. Most of these will end up with collectors and the boxes won’t even be opened. This might even have mostly male buyers, and to be honest I don’t care who’s buying it or actually playing with it, I’m thrilled it even exists because it further expands the idea of who should be represented as a doll and who gets to enjoy them.

This is a huge step toward normalizing the creation of more Black dolls AND to make playing with dolls more acceptable for boys. We can yell from the rooftops that dolls are gender neutral, but boys playing with dolls is still a big deal for so many adults. and we pass that along to younger generations.

LeBron sees his doll as a role model for kids, but in my mind it's just as much of a model for adults because it represents a simple but powerful idea of inclusive play. Gender roles aside, research consistently shows that dolls teach caring, create storytelling and imaginative pathways, and teach caring and empathy for girls AND boys. For someone who isn’t quite ready to hand their son a baby doll, maybe one of their favorite athlete is an easier place to start. Now that LeBron has opened the door, let’s see who else follows his example.