About the Book
“No athlete is referenced as frequently in commentaries on Black politics as LeBron James. The NBA all-star, gold medal Olympian, four time NBA champion, and four-time finals MVP has been a pivotal figure in both the culture and politics of basketball. Despite his unmatched skill, success and popularity, James has never been fully free from the entrenched racism and anti-blackness in American life. His story, of both success and adversity, represents a larger story of how conflicts and tensions off the court always make it into the game and how athletes of color reckon with their ascent to fame while still living in a deeply racist society. In The Book of James, Valerie Babb examines his evolution from a basketball protâegâe to social activist. Every day it becomes more apparent that basketball stardom is just the first step in the evolution of one of the most celebrated presences in modern American culture. This book considers the peaks and pitfalls of his route to this prominence as well as well as what separates his outspokenness from previous athletes. The Book of James is timely in its examination of his impact on national race discourse. The result is a unique blend of memoir, biography and criticism that brings into focus the role of athletes in shaping and altering public discourse while simultaneously pushing the boundaries of their sport”–
Book Synopsis
The unique social, cultural, and political life of the incomparable LeBron James
LeBron James is the hero in two very American tales: one, a success story the nation loves; the other, the latest installment in an ongoing chronicle of American antiblackness. He’s the poor boy from a “broken” home who makes good. He’s also the poor Black boy from a “broken” home who makes good, then at the apex of his career finds “n*****” spray-painted across the gate to his home.
James has lived in the public eye ever since high school when his extraordinary athletic skills subjected his every action, every statement, every fashion choice to intense public scrutiny that tells us less about James himself and more about a nation still wrestling with many social inequities. He uses his celebrity not to transcend Blackness, but to give it a place of cultural prominence, and the backlash he receives exposes the frictions between Blackness and a country not fully comfortable with its presence. As a result, James’s story is a revelatory narrative of how much Blackness is loved, hated, misunderstood, and just plain cool in an America that has changed and yet not changed at all.
Review Quotes
“The Book of James is bigger than LeBron and bigger than basketball. Be careful handling this work because Babb’s insights are so sharp you might hurt yourself. Basketball fan or not, this book will take you places you never intended–and you will enjoy every moment of the ride.”–Tayari Jones, award-winning author of An American Marriage
“I’m so glad LeBron James never did ‘stick to sports’–and even more glad Babb wrote this extraordinary book. This deeply powerful and incisive account is a wonderful companion to James’ legacy, and an outright clinic on how to write about basketball, race, culture and America itself.”–Mirin Fader, New York Times-bestselling author of Giannis
“Valerie Babb has brilliantly explored the majesty of King James. She has laid out a powerful analysis of the ways that LeBron’s unapologetic Blackness fuels his commitment to community, his confidence, his rooted sense of family, his refusal to accept inequality, his knowledge of the power of controlling the narrative, and his understanding of the responsibilities of celebrity and wealth. The Book of James is simply a triumph.”–Carol Anderson, New York Times-bestselling author of author of White Rage
“With The Book of James, Babb has created an exquisite exploration into the context, characters and culture that created LeBron James. I’ve imagined this book for decades and never believed we would get a book worthy of the complicated wonder of LeBron James. That book is here, and it is stunning.”–Kiese Laymon, award-winning author of Heavy and Long Division
About the Author
Valerie Babb is Andrew Mellon Professor of Humanities at Emory University. She holds a joint appointment in the departments of African American Studies and English.
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