LeBron James is one of the greatest basketball players who ever lived, yet the man named as his biological father, Anthony McClelland, has spent four decades as a near-total blank. He left before LeBron could walk, and the two have never built any relationship. Anthony is a former high school basketball player from Akron, Ohio. He has remained largely out of the public eye. Asked about his mother’s influence on his career, LeBron told Today in 2024.
I always had that mother and father inside my mother, so I never was a kid that was kind of like, ‘Where is my father?’
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Anthony McClelland was absent from LeBron’s life from the start, and the two have no relationship.
- LeBron James was raised by his mother, Gloria James, who gave birth to him at 16, with longtime partner Eddie Jackson acting as a father figure.
- McClelland is African-American and from Akron, Ohio.
- His current whereabouts and whether he is still alive remain unknown, with some sources claiming he died.
Profile summary
|
Full name |
Anthony McClelland |
|
Another name |
Roland Bivens |
|
Gender |
Male |
|
Years of birth |
1960s |
|
Age |
60s |
|
Place of birth |
Akron, Ohio, United States of America |
|
Residence |
Akron, Ohio, United States |
|
Nationality |
American |
|
Ethnicity |
African-American |
|
Hair colour |
Black |
|
Eye colour |
Dark brown |
|
Children |
2 |
LeBron’s father is Anthony McClelland. He was born in the 1960s in Ohio, United States. McClelland is an American national of African-American ethnicity.
Anthony had a brief relationship with Gloria Marie James in the 1980s. They had their son, LeBron James, soon after. After LeBron’s birth, he was not in the picture. The former high school athlete spent most of his time in prison for crimes like arson and theft. It is believed that he changed his name from Roland Bivens after escaping jail.
LeBron does not seem to miss his father. According to Sports Illustrated, in 2014, he wrote a message to McClelland thanking him for being absent. The message read in part:
Like, ‘Wow, Dad, you know what, I don’t know you, I have no idea who you are, but because of you is part of the reason who I am today.’ The fuel that I use—you not being there—it’s part of the reason I grew up to become who I am. It’s part of the reason why I want to be hands-on with my endeavours.
Source: Original
Who raised LeBron James?
LeBron James was raised by his mother, Gloria James, who was just 16 when he was born. The early years were hard. Money was scarce, and according to Encyclopaedia Britannica and reporting on his Akron childhood, the family moved repeatedly through a string of apartments while Gloria worked to keep them afloat. LeBron has spoken about missing long stretches of school during that period.
Things steadied when the family settled into Spring Hill Apartments and Gloria’s longtime partner, Eddie Jackson, stepped into a fatherly role. Jackson attended LeBron’s youth games and became the man LeBron leaned on for guidance. He was not a constant presence either; he served time for drug offences and, later, fraud, but he is the figure LeBron has referred to as a dad far more readily than McClelland.
What is Anthony McClelland’s age?
LeBron James’ dad’s age is unknown. However, he was born in the 1960s and is estimated to be in his sixties.
What is Anthony McClelland’s height?
LeBron James’ father’s height is not known since he has largely lived a quite life.
Source: Getty Images
LeBron James’ dad’s ethnicity
Anthony McClelland is African-American, born and raised in Akron, Ohio. The recurring search query asking whether LeBron James‘ dad is Dominican has no support in any reliable reporting.
LeBron himself has occasionally referenced family-heritage curiosities in interviews, but none of that translates into a Dominican father.
Who is Aaron McClelland Gamble?
Aaron McClelland Gamble is the second son of Anthony McClelland from another relationship. Aaron was born on 31 May 1987 in Akron, Ohio. His zodiac sign is Gemini.
Frequently asked questions
- What happened with LeBron’s dad? Anthony McClelland had a brief relationship with Gloria James in the early 1980s and left before LeBron James was born in December 1984. He played no part in raising LeBron. He reportedly tried to reconnect in 2002, but LeBron declined, and McClelland has since disappeared from public view.
- Did LeBron James ever know his dad? No, LeBron James never had a relationship with Anthony McClelland. He has described keeping his father “far, far away” and has said he does not know him, framing the absence as motivation rather than a bond.
- Does LeBron James have a relationship with his dad? No. There has never been a relationship between LeBron James and Anthony McClelland. The men he has treated as fathers are his stepfather figure, Eddie Jackson and, in spirit, his tight circle of childhood friends, not his biological father.
- Where is LeBron James’ dad from? Anthony McClelland is from Akron, Ohio, the same city where LeBron James was born and raised.
- Is Anthony McClelland still alive? His current whereabouts are unknown, and no credible outlet has reported on whether he is alive as of 2026. An unverified Akron obituary from 2024 circulates online but has not been confirmed to be him.
- Is LeBron James’ dad Dominican? No, Anthony McClelland is African-American and from Ohio.
- Was LeBron James’ father an athlete? Yes, he played basketball in high school, but never played professionally.
- Who raised LeBron James? The NBA star was raised by his mother, Gloria James, who gave birth to him at 16. Her longtime partner, Eddie Jackson, served as a father figure during LeBron’s youth.
LeBron James’ dad is Anthony McClelland. He did not raise him and was out of his life soon after birth. Although it is alleged that he was in and out of jail, his current whereabouts are unknown.
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