LeBron James, one of the most emblematic figures of modern sports, has still made history – this time in the aisle of toys.
Mattel announced the release of a new Barbie to the resemblance of Mr. James, making him the first professional male athlete to be honored as a Ken doll.
“We are delighted to bring the fans a new presentation of Ken,” said Krista Berger, main vice-president of Mattel de Barbie. She said that the famous doll “LeBron as a role model,” her icon ability to transcend culture and give a “positive example for the next generation”.
The doll presents the Los Angeles Lakers basketball player in his pre-match fashion and reflects his size-it is an inch more than the Ken Standard doll.
In reality, the athlete measures 6 feet 9 inches.
The new doll comes like the The company is faced with financial uncertainty In the middle of the climbing of the trade war of President Donald Trump with China, where just under 40% of the production of Mattel is based.
Trump announced Wednesday that the prices on the goods of China Increase to 125%. He accused Beijing of a “lack of respect” after having retaliated and declared that he would impose prices of 84% on American imports.
In the same ad, Trump announced a 90 -day break For countries affected by higher American prices and authorized a “reversed universal reversed rate of 10%” while negotiations continued with around 60 countries.
Mattel said that it should increase prices and possibly implement changes to its supply chain. In the United States, consumer and companies have warned that prices could disrupt supply chains and cause higher prices.
The new Ken doll does not show the athlete in his basketball uniform. Instead, he is dressed in a university jacket decorated with “LJ” on the front.
It includes a Ohio patch and a crown patch on a round and number 23 – its basketball jersey number – on the other. On the back, “LeBron” is boldly printed with the sentence, “just a child from Akron” – the city of Ohio where he was born.
Under the jacket, the doll carries a shirt that reads “We Are Family”, a nod to the star’s foundation. The doll has accessories such as basketball, headphones and sneakers.
In a promotional video published by Mattel, Mr. James reacted to see the doll for the first time. “Oh, he’s dope!” He says he gave the figurine. “It’s so cool!”
While playing with the doll’s accessories, he joked on the LeBron Ken doll “might have to do a little lifting, the legs seem thin”.
This decision is an important moment for the 65 -year -old Barbie brand, which has made a boost in recent years to diversify its dolls and reflect a wider range of careers, types of body and horizons.
Although Barbie previously honored athletes like Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and Megan Rapinoe, Mr. James is the first male sports figure – and the first male figure that is not in the entertainment industry – to join programming.
Even with four NBA titles, two Olympic gold medals and a score record for his name, Mr. James says that his new title of “Kenbassador” strikes differently – because it is more than basketball.
“This is an opportunity to recognize the powerful impact of models that breathe confidence, inspire dreams and show children that they can also reach greatness.”
