You have seen celebrities and popular personalities turned into action figures, but a Ken Doll from the Barbie line? Not often. But now, NBA Lakers legend LeBron James has become the first male athlete to be immortalized as a doll. A doll, not an action figure, which this big guy has already been there, done that.
Standing an inch taller than the average Ken—so about 13 inches (33 cm) of pure basketball greatness—LeBron’s new role isn’t MVP but Kenbassador, the face of Mattel’s new Barbie Signature Kenbassadors Collection. He’s got the varsity jacket, Beats headphones, and custom Nike high-tops to prove it. Even his doll’s patches are meaningful: a No. 23 for his Lakers jersey, an Ohio nod to Akron, and a “We Are Family” patch for his foundation.
The doll hits major retailers like Target, Walmart, and Mattel Creations on April 14 for USD 75. But if you’re a hardcore fan, the Undefeated store in LA is offering early sales on April 12—some even autographed by King James himself. Unsurprisingly, eBay resellers are already dunking the price past 150 USD [JP].
And just like on the court, LeBron is giving back: for every doll sold at Target between April 14 and 19, Mattel will donate a copy of his children’s book I Am More Than to Save the Children.
So no, it’s not just a doll. It’s a stylish, philanthropic, culture-shifting piece of plastic royalty. Long live King Ken.
UPDATE [November 18, 2025]: Clearly, I did not have enough information when I wrote this. It looks like the LeBron James Kenbassadors Doll is still available to pre-order, but this time, for members only on creations.mattel.com.
Images: Mattel.
