Kevin Gates Compared LeBron James’s Wife to a Jail Warden — Here’s How LeBron Responded

For the most part, NBA player LeBron James is known for keeping his cool in heated moments, though he’s not one to let people walk all over him. It takes a lot to stay composed in the spotlight, especially with constant judgment and unsolicited opinions being thrown his way.

So, it’s understandable that not every comment goes unacknowledged.

Case in point: when Kevin Gates threw shade at LeBron’s wife, Savannah James, in April 2025, and LeBron responded.

Here’s what was said and the heat LeBron brought with his response.

Kevin Gates had a few choice words when describing how LeBron James's wife, Savannah, looks at her husband when he walks out on the court, and it was certainly a controversial take. "I don't like the way Savannah looks at LeBron," Kevin said in an Instagram video shared on April 19. "I like the way them white women look at LeBron. As soon as he walks out there, they just be like, 'Oh, oh, oh.'"

To further emphasize his point, Kevin compared the way Savannah looks at LeBron to "the warden of the jail," and his face sort of scrunched up when he said it.

What seemed to really hit a nerve was when Kevin admitted that he wouldn’t want to swap places with LeBron, not because of fame or money, but because of how Savannah looks at him, despite LeBron being "one of the greatest players to ever play the game."

But Kevin wasn’t done with his jaw-dropping comments. He went on to say that LeBron "is so loving and giving," and that it "hurts" him to see Savannah look at him the way she does. He even suggested that Savannah should be "diving on the floor behind him," perhaps because of his status and wealth.

Now, that's not exactly the most ideal message to send out into society — should your money and status be the only thing that deserves respect? What about the fact that Savannah has stood by LeBron’s side for 11 years and mothered his three children?

In fact, suggesting she "dives behind him" implies that she's on a lower level than her husband, and that’s far from promoting equality in a relationship, NBA player or not.

One Instagram user quickly called Kevin out, pointing out that LeBron and Savannah have been together for over a decade. Of course, the way she looks at him isn’t going to be the same as how a random admirer might react in his presence.

Savannah and LeBron have history, a family, and a life together. Plus, Savannah isn't just a "trophy wife." She's an advocate for women, a businesswoman, and has co-founded Let it Break and partnered with BirthFUND, so she’s not exactly coasting on LeBron’s success without contributing herself.

While Kevin acknowledged that many people would "hate what I just said," there was no ounce of regret in his voice.

A day after Kevin’s video went up, LeBron seemingly responded with a subtle yet powerful Instagram post on April 20. The photo showed him and his wife, Savannah, smiling lovingly into each other’s eyes, much different from how Kevin described her demeanor on the court.

"'Kings don’t concern themselves with the opinions of peasants,'" LeBron captioned the post, adding, "Where to next, Queen?!?! Let’s get it!" Fans were thrilled with the response, with one person commenting, "I already knew he wasn’t gonna let that s--t slide."

Kevin later followed up with another video, saying, "The truth hurts, but it heals." He also tagged LeBron in the caption, writing, "I’m way less than a peasant, I’m a simple servant of #Allah and I love you."

From all of this, one thing we can gather is that LeBron may let comments questioning his talent or place in the NBA slide — but he clearly isn’t letting anyone take shots at his life partner.