Lamine Yamal crowns himself like LeBron James, Barcelona wonderkid declares rise of soccer’s new king

When 18-year-old Lamine Yamal found the back of the net in a summer friendly against Seoul, he didn’t just celebrate the goal, he made a statement. The 18-year-old Barcelona star, wearing the iconic No.

10 jersey, stood tall, raised his arms, and mimicked the act of placing a crown on his head. The gesture, instantly recognizable to NBA fans, was a clear nod to LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar who has carried the crown for nearly two decades as “King James.” In that instant, the parallels wrote themselves. A teenager on the pitch was channeling the celebration of basketball’s greatest showman, soccer’s rising prodigy mirroring the confidence and self-belief of a man who has come to define greatness in the NBA.

The crown travels from Los Angeles to Barcelona: How LeBron James’ iconic celebration inspired Lamine Yamal’s rise as soccer’s new king

LeBron James has used the crown gesture for years as a symbol of his dominance, performing it after clutch baskets and defining moments. For him, it represents the reign of “King James,” a player whose greatness was foretold long before he stepped foot in the NBA.Yamal’s version, unveiled during Barcelona’s Asian tour in a friendly against Seoul, carried a similar message. After scoring twice, the youngster celebrated with a chest bump and then lifted an invisible crown onto his head, a subtle nod to the NBA icon.

But not everyone interpreted it the same way. Ahead of Spain’s World Cup qualifiers in Bulgaria, national team coach Luis de la Fuente was asked about Lamine Yamal’s new celebration.“To me, the celebration was not crowning himself,” De la Fuente said during the press conference. “It looked like him putting on a magician’s hat. I told myself while watching the TV, ‘Well, the kid has done another magic trick’. That’s how I understood it.”

From King James to Barcelona’s crown prince: LeBron James and Lamine Yamal draw powerful parallels across sports

Many observers see the connection between the two prodigies as natural. LeBron James was hailed as a future star years before he ever played in the NBA, and he went on to exceed the hype. In a similar way, Lamine Yamal has been breaking age-related records in soccer since his mid-teens, showing the same kind of early maturity and trajectory that suggests he could shape the next era of the sport.Already Barcelona’s new No. 10 and the face of Adidas soccer, Yamal is positioning himself as more than just a rising star, he is aiming to become a cultural icon, much like LeBron has been for two decades in basketball.For Yamal, the crown celebration is more than showmanship. It’s a declaration of intent, a message that he sees himself not just as Barcelona’s new leader but as a player ready to define an era.Different continents, different games, but the same hunger for greatness. For LeBron James, the crown has long symbolized his reign. For Lamine Yamal, it is a promise of what is yet to come.Also Read: 'Thought he’d just be a hometown hero': LeBron James' wife Savannah James recalled her early expectations of the NBA icon