The LeBrons (web animation)

"You see the lights, the fame/You see the bling
But you should meet LeBron before he became King
Yeah, this is a story/Kinda like then
My little homie Kid/Growin' up in Akron

Tryin' to be an Athlete/We can all witness
Hopin' he can grow up right/Handle Business
Gotta show love to his friends and his fam
World's on his back/Wise like an old man

'Cause if you think he's just a ball player still
Pay attention/You got a wrong player for real
'Cause life isn't always fun and games
Ladies and gent, boys and girls, LeBron James

It ain't easy/But it's all right
Check it out, y'all/It's the LeBrons"

The LeBrons is a 2011 Internet animated series from LeBron James. It started out as a series of live action Nike commercials that LeBron created in 2005.

Based on LeBron's childhood and taking place in his hometown Akron, Ohio, it is about a family of four personalities based on himself. The four LeBrons are:

  • Kid, the youngest of the family
  • Athlete, the basketball player
  • Business (also known as "Biz"), the suave businessman
  • Wise, the oldest of the family

In every episode, the family has a stunning misadventure, and later either learns a moral lesson or demonstrates a lesson to kids, a la Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.

It has lasted for 10 episodes so far. Some people presumed the show has ended after the tenth episode, but the producers said they are working on the second season.

This series may count as Western Animation, since its animation is a lot more detailed than other webtoons.

To read tropes associated with the original live action commercials, see this page.

The Characters page.

Tropes used in The LeBrons (web animation) include:
  • An Aesop
  • Angry Guard Dog: The pitbull in "Lion".
  • Animated Series
  • An Arm and a Leg: Subverted; at the beginning of "Lion", Kid and his friend Condor escape Ray Johnson's pitbull, but when they rush to the door, Kid slams it on Condor's leg. Condor was wailing that the pitbull ate his leg, but Kid tells him that he just slammed the door on it.
    • This subversion happens again in the same episode, but instead of shouting, Condor tells Kid that it's getting older.
  • Author Avatar: The LeBrons themselves.
  • Bad Mood As an Excuse / Beware the Nice Ones: In "Misunderstood", Kid is rather upset about the fact he missed his basketball game, so much that he blames it on himself, believing that he's misunderstood. Word of God says this is based on LeBron James' attitude after he missed his game.
  • Berserk Button: Kid in "Misunderstood", when Condor tells him to calm down.

"I'll calm down?! I'll show you just how I calm down!"

  • Big Game: Subverted in, well, "Big Game".
  • Big No: Kid has one at the end of "Stay on the Court", when he's about to get "kissed" by a huge guy named Yugi after he was saved by Li.
  • Bow Ties Are Cool: Not a bowtie, but in "Superstition", Kid gets to wear a necktie as part of a gentleman suit he wears to his school's dance party.
  • Breakout Character: Kid.
  • The Bully: Jamal, who appeared in "Coach", "Bullies", the ending of "Misunderstood", and the two-part season finale "The Comeback".
  • Call on Me: The pet store cashier in "Lion" does this to summon Otis.
  • The Cameo: Drizzy Drake in the episode "Drake".
  • Catapult Nightmare: At the beginning of "Misunderstood", Kid has a dream about a basketball flying at the basketball hoop in slow motion and exploding as it hits it. Then he flings up and pants.
  • Celebrity Toons
  • Changed My Mind, Kid: Condor, Erik and Li in "The Comeback".
  • Character Title
  • Chick Magnet: Biz. Especially in the episode "Gloria", where he dates the family's mother Gloria, which Wise isn't very impressed about.
  • Conspicuous CGI: Used for any vehicles and certain backgrounds.
  • Cutaway Gag: In "Stay on the Court", this appears twice, in which Kid is sitting on a hospital bed wearing a body cast.
  • Cut His Heart Out with a Spoon: At one point in "Lion", Otis, during his confrontation with the pitbull, threatens him to "rip out your head and play ball with it".
  • Deadpan Snarker: Wise.
    • Condor.
  • Descended Creator: LeBron James as Business.
  • Dirty Old Man: Wise.
  • Eek! A Mouse!: The beginning of "Gloria", although there's a talking grasshopper instead of a mouse. When Gloria was cleaning the kitchen, she sees the grasshopper standing at the window, and she got so scared that she screams (which prompts the grasshopper to scream back at her), dropping the bag of sugar on the floor and thus clouds come out of it covering the house.
  • Epic Fail: In "Superstition", Kid goes and buys popcorn and three cans of soda on a tray, but accidentally smashes them together and drops them when he watches Athlete playing basketball. He eventually goes and buys them again.
  • Failure Is the Only Option: At the end of "Big Game", Kid shoots the basketball at the hoop in slow motion while time is running out, with all his might - only the ball just spins around and flies off, making him lose the game.
  • Five-Man Band:
  • Flash Back: In "Big Game", Erik has one after he sees Otis very nervous. In this flashback, Erik is in a football game with Kid and Condor, and tries to run with them, but they instantly crash into other football players.
    • Later, near the end of the same episode, Wise has one in which a younger himself is taking care of a baby Kid and then makes him toss a bag of trash to a garbage truck.
  • Furry Denial: At the end of "Lion", Athlete was afraid when he sees Otis hanging out with Biz in the living room.
  • Gag Dub: Cubed, a Fox Sports web series, once did a parody dub of one of the first episode's scenes.
  • Gang of Bullies: Jamal and his fellow bullies.
  • Growling Gut: Subverted; this happens to Condor at the beginning of "Lion" when he is bicycling with Kid, but it is actually the pitbull growling before a chase after Kid and Condor ensues.
  • Hot Mom: Gloria.
  • House of Cool: Created designs and storyboards for the series.
  • Hurricane of Puns: Happens once in "Lion":

Business: Ray Ray, you need to check your dog.
Ray Ray: Mind your own business...Business.
(tries to close the door, but Business stops him and opens the door)
Business: Kid is my business. And your dog is out of control.

Kid: You know I do. Just be open.
Condor: What you mean "be open?" I'm like 7/11 over here!
Erik: Yeah, you are open. (Laughs a bit) Open like your fly.
(Erik laughs with Kid)
Condor: (frustrated) Whatever, E.

  • Little No: Li has one in "Stay on the Court", when Kid falls off the high dive.
  • Look Behind You!: When Otis confronts the pitbull in "Lion", the pitbull points at the left telling him "Oh look! Baby gazelle!" and runs off barking down the street.
  • Meaningful Name: The LeBrons themselves -- Kid (a kid), Athlete (an athlete), Business (a businessman) and Wise (an old man) -- all qualify.
  • Moe: Erik lampshades this during Li's introduction scene in the second episode:

Erik: She's like one of those hot anime characters, only she's not a cartoon.

Pitbull: Please accept my deepest and most sincere apologies!
Otis: Shut up, fool.
Pitbull: That sounds like a plan. I'm gonna shut up now.

Erik: What's all the laughing about, anyway?
Girl: Nothin'. Just watchin' you little boys attempt to play ball.
(The girls laugh)
Erik: Jeez, tough room.
Girl: Just calm it like you see it.

  1. ↑ Subversion: He's the main character.
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