After winning three straight Olympic medals in men’s basketball, LeBron James sat out the 2016 Summer Olympics and watched Team USA from home. He used social media to cheer on gymnast Simone Biles, who won four gold medals and a bronze in Rio. The athlete known as “King James” called Biles and swimmer Simone Manuel “young queens” and said they were inspirations to his daughter.
Biles repaid the compliment in person this past weekend when she attended a Cleveland Cavaliers game. 6-foot-8 James had to bend down about two feet to give 4-foot-8 Biles a hug. She also posed with 6-foot-10 Kevin Love, another Olympic gold medalist, and the Cavs mascot Moondog.
This isn’t the first time Biles has proved that Olympians come in all shapes and sizes. During the Rio Olympics, she posed back to back with 6-foot-8 volleyball player David Lee, and in October she reached new heights by taking a photo with 7-foot basketball player Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzski was Germany’s flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Both Biles and James were finalists for Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year, with James winning the title over Biles, Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, Katie Ledecky and more.
Biles was born in Columbus, Ohio. She attended the game with her father, Ron, who is a Cleveland native. The next day, the pair attended a Browns game and met football legend Jim Brown.
