For decades, only the greatest athletes have been compared to Michael Jordan. LeBron James is one of those players, not just for his achievements, but for the inspiration he drew from Jordan as a kid.

Now, that same inspiration is passing to the next generation through his daughter, Zhuri James. And the person in question is WNBA superstar A’ja Wilson.

LeBron made it clear how much Wilson means to his family. “A’ja Wilson is the definition of female black excellence. I am so grateful she is giving my daughter the kind of inspiration I got from Michael Jordan,” he said.

Wilson became the first player, men’s or women’s pro basketball, to win a championship while also taking home the scoring title, Finals MVP, league MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year all in the same season. Her stats and awards alone put her in historic company.

When Gayle King shared LeBron’s praise, Wilson talked about what really drives her. “It’s the reason why I do what I do. It’s for the youth! For that young girl to just get a chance to believe. And I always say, ‘if you can see her, you can be her,’” she said.

She added, “That’s the real trophy. The real championship ring is leaving a legacy for young boys and girls to believe they can do it their way.”

Wilson was also named TIME Magazine’s Athlete of the Year for 2025, won the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year, and was honored on the House floor by Congresswoman Dina Titus.

For Zhuri, seeing Wilson excel shows what’s possible. And for LeBron, it’s a full-circle moment, inspiration passing from one generation to the next.

Written by

Kalzang Uzor Gurung

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu