The title King James, from Rajiv Joseph’s play, refers to basketball legend LeBron James, a player many consider the greatest of all time. However, don’t be misled, this isn’t a story about basketball, nor is it about LeBron James himself, though his presence influences the narrative.
At its heart, the play is about the evolving friendship of two superfans, capturing the highs and lows of their relationship over the years. You don’t need to know a thing about basketball or LeBron to fully immerse yourself in this deeply engaging and thoroughly entertaining production at the Hampstead Theatre.
The play opens in 2004 with Matt (Sam Mitchell), a 21-year-old white bartender in Cleveland, reluctantly selling a pair of season tickets to the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team he’s loved since childhood, watching games with his father from the age of six. Though deeply passionate about the Cavaliers, financial pressures force Matt to part with the tickets to pay off a debt. Enter Shawn (Ényì Okoronkwo), a young, aspiring Black writer and fellow lifelong Cavaliers fan, eager to buy the tickets but only has half of Matt’s $4,000 asking price. The race of the characters is not relevant for most of the play, until it is, and that’s why I raise it here.
As the two men haggle over the price, they bond over their shared devotion to the Cavaliers and the electrifying performances of LeBron James in his debut season, who has ignited the team’s fanbase. Eventually settling on a deal, Matt asks who Shawn will be taking to the matches with the other ticket in the pair he has bought from him. Shawn appears to be a bit of a loner and hasn’t given that any thought but the answer is there standing in front of him.
Like a basketball game, the play unfolds across four quarters, with the story revisiting Shawn and Matt in 2010, 2014 and 2016, key milestones in LeBron James’s career that subtly parallel pivotal moments in their own lives. By the second quarter, it’s evident that the two have become close friends, regularly attending games together for years. As time passes, the balance of power in their relationship shifts, with each experiencing moments of greater success than the other. Yet, through it all, their bond remains resilient, weathering the ups and downs of their lives.
On the surface, the play’s structure is simple, featuring just two characters and a minimalist set that enhances the intimacy and intensity of their interactions. Sam Mitchell delivers a terrific performance as Matt, balancing sharp wit with a poignant vulnerability, while Ényì Okoronkwo brings charisma and emotional depth to the role of Shawn. Rajiv Joseph’s script is razor-sharp, blending humour with weighty themes like class, masculinity, and race.
Under Alice Hamilton’s expert direction, the pacing remains brisk and dynamic, fully capitalising on the natural chemistry between the actors. The dialogue flows effortlessly and Hamilton creates an atmosphere so intimate it feels like the audience is eavesdropping on private moments, making the emotional highs and lows even more powerful.
King James is a masterfully crafted story of two men discovering themselves through their shared passion for basketball and LeBron James in particular. It’s both humorous and heartfelt, offering a poignant exploration of how friendships grow and change over time, while reflecting on the power of sports to unite and sometimes divide.
Whether you’re a basketball enthusiast or have never watched a game and whether you’re a Lebron James superfan or have never heard of him before, it doesn’t matter because this is ultimately an outstanding play about the universal themes of human connection and the complexities of friendship. This production doesn’t just score, it’s a slam dunk triumph.
