Here’s Why 2025 Met Gala Honorary Chair LeBron James Will Not Be Attending

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The Met Gala 2025 exhibit, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, is inspiring one of the biggest nights in fashion, and the thirst to see well-dressed celebrities is at an all-time high.
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For the first time, the event’s co-chairs are all men honoring the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute’s theme, showcasing Black style inspired by Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.
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The Met Gala’s theme is “Tailored for You,” which is a reference to the focus on menswear included in the exhibit. To learn more about the exhibit and theme, check out this explainer.
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Unfortunately, if you were expecting to see the four-time NBA champion walk the Met Gala carpet in the finest homage to Black dandyism, you’ll have to plan for another day.
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Mere hours before the Met Gala begins, the Los Angeles Lakers forward announced that he will not be attending the Met Gala this year.
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LeBron shared a post on his X account, writing, “Unfortunately because of my knee injury I sustained at the end of the season I won’t be able to attend the Met Gala in NY tonight as so many people have been asking and congratulating me on!”
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“Hate to miss an historical event!” he continued. “My beautiful powerful Queen will be there holding the castle down as she always has done!”
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LeBron’s wife, Savannah James, will be attending the Met Gala. They’ve been married since 2013 and share three children: LeBron “Bronny” James Jr., Bryce Maximus, and Zhuri Nova.
On Thursday, the Lakers revealed that an MRI showed LeBron suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee in the fourth quarter of Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to a source obtained by ESPN.
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The injury entails a three-to-five-week recommended recovery timeline, according to the source.
The injury occurred with only 8 minutes and 39 seconds remaining in the game when Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo collided with LeBron’s left knee, “setting a moving screen while a pass was being thrown to [Timberwolves power forward] Julius Randle on the perimeter,” as reported by ESPN.
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