Mattel Inc, Barbie's parent company, has announced that NBA superstar LeBron James has joined the Barbie universe and has become the first professional athlete to be featured as a Ken doll. Mattel also released photos of the new doll inspired by James. According to Mattel, the doll is part of a partnership with the LeBron James Family Foundation. With Ken’s 65th anniversary next year, Mattel shared excitement about expanding their lineup of "Kenbassadors" with the basketball star, BBC reported. The doll features James in striped pants, blue and white sneakers, a varsity jacket of the same colour with his initials, and a LeBron James Family Foundation's signature "We Are Family" T-shirt. It is also adorned with a black fanny pack, gold glasses, sunglasses, Beat headphones, and a cap with a King sign on it. The doll is an inch taller than the regular Ken doll. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Barbie (@barbie) According to Krista Berger, Mattel’s senior vice president of Barbie, the doll celebrates the athlete as a role model. “We are excited to bring fans a new presentation of Ken,” BBC quoted Berger. Addressing the announcement, James shared how as a child he had role models and taught him the importance of hard work and dedication. “It's an opportunity to recognize the powerful impact of role models who instill confidence, inspire dreams, and show kids that they, too, can achieve greatness,” he said, as reported by CBS News. The doll will go on sale on April 14 and is being sold for $75 (Rs 6,500, approximately). On Wednesday night, James made history by surpassing Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time regular-season games played list. With his 1,561st game, James claimed second place overall, pushing Abdul-Jabbar down to third.
