Savannah James, the wife of NBA great LeBron James, tries not to let money affect her friendships.
Savannah, 40, has built a massive business portfolio herself, and is married to the first-ever NBA player to amass a billion-dollar net worth.
“My friends are very respectful of my situation. You know, if I’m like, ‘We’re going somewhere,’ they already understand what it is,” she said on the Monday, September 28 episode of Boardroom’s “Mental Wealth” podcast, where she appeared alongside friend and podcast cohost April McDaniel. “There’s no expectation of, like, taking care of something or, you know, just having me be responsible for them. It has never, ever been that.”
McDaniel revealed that when they travel together, Savannah flies first class and McDaniel reserves a seat in business.
“We talk about this a lot because there’s two different lifestyles that exist,” McDaniel said on the podcast. “Like we’re not delusional to that. And I think Savannah has accommodated where I’m at.”
McDaniel explained that when they are traveling, Savannah needs to give her enough time to make sure she can pay her own way.
“We’re planning out. Like, we don’t just show up at Fashion Week week-of. We don’t move like that even though people think we do,” she said.
McDaniel added, “If we’re going on the same trip, I don’t feel the need to be in first [class] because that’s not in my budget. And people were very critical of her being in first and me being in business and me going up to first and getting in her bed and watching a movie. It was, like, offended.”
Savannah and McDaniel are longtime friends and cohost the “Everybody’s Crazy” podcast together. Over the past 15 years, their relationship has evolved to the point that they are also business partners.
“I feel like the shift was really organic because me and Savannah’s friendship is really about feeling and how things feel to us and does it feel good? Does it not feel good?” McDaniel said. “And if it doesn’t feel good, we’re not doing it.”
While McDaniel seems unbothered by her and Savannah’s flight arrangements, it caused a stir among fans who believed Savannah should pay for her friend.
“All that money she has. I do not like ppl like this,” one fan wrote via X. “My best friends would be sitting right next to me. Wouldn’t even be a thought. this is crazy asf.”
“My best friend and I are traveling together. We both sitting in first class,” another wrote.
A third added, “I’ve paid for whole international vacations for my friends on a teacher’s salary…. So no I don’t get why a billionaire can’t upgrade her FRIEND’S flight.”
But she also had her supporters, with former NBA player Brandon Jennings defending her.
“If you can’t afford first class or certain things when you around your rich friends and you feel entitled that they should pay, ur a certified moocher…Savannah James ain’t wrong,” he wrote.
