LeBron James Is Coming to Your Wheaties Box
Just don’t double dribble your breakfast.
M.A. Jozwiak/Photo courtesy of General Mills
LeBron James has racked up a lot of accomplishments in his long NBA career — among other things, having played in 10 NBA Finals, including the one currently underway, which could bring him a fourth championship — but now he’s got a new trophy to put on his shelf, not to mention his kitchen table: an iconic orange Wheaties box with his image on it.
The cereal brand announced this week that the basketball legend is the latest athlete to grace the covers of its cereal boxes, continuing Wheaties’ 85-year streak of featuring sports stars on collectible boxes. King James will assume the Wheaties Athlete (metaphorical) crown worn in 2019 by tennis great Serena Williams, who earlier this year was named alongside him as an Associated Press Athlete of the Decade.
This year’s collectible Wheaties box will be a little unusual. It will celebrate James as a star not only on the court, but off it as well. The box will feature an image of James along with a collage of kids and families affiliated with the LeBron James Family Foundation’s I PROMISE program in Akron, Ohio, James’ hometown. The I PROMISE School, a public school in James and his foundation opened in Akron in 2018, serves at-risk students and families. School students and staff will appear on the collectible box.
“We all know LeBron James for his record-breaking basketball career, but his achievements off the court truly set him apart,” Taylor Gessell, brand experience manager for Wheaties, said in a press release. “From starting the LeBron James Family Foundation, to boldly speaking out on racial injustice, to launching the I PROMISE School — LeBron is a champion of change who is using his sports platform to better the world. We couldn’t be prouder to feature such a positive force of inspiration for the next generation of champions on Wheaties’ historic box.”
Michele Campbell, executive director of the LeBron James Family Foundation, expressed similar excitement. “Having our students, families and educators on the Wheaties box alongside LeBron is pretty powerful, and it illustrates that deep and meaningful work cannot be done alone,” Campbell said. “It takes an entire community to truly rally around those that need it most, and it takes a lot of passion and hard work. But it can be done, and we’re humbled to continue pushing the envelope on what’s possible for these families and all communities across the country.”
The limited-edition LeBron James and I PROMISE Wheaties box is currently available via shop.wheaties.com and will roll out to stores nationwide in the coming weeks.
James, too, said he was pleased to see his efforts on and off honored on the box.
“Growing up where we come from, to see my I PROMISE kids and families from Akron, Ohio, represented on the iconic Wheaties box means everything,” he said. “The movement we’ve started in Akron is about doing our part to uplift our community by first listening and then responding with the resources they need. We will continue to do everything we can to create a better future for our kids and our community, and it starts with the students, teachers, and everyday champions you see on this box.”
It’s good to be the king … doing good.
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