‘Back Up Boo, Savannah Don’t Play That’: Tyla Spotted Standing ‘Too Close’ to LeBron James as the ‘Water’ Singer Comes Under Attack By Fans

Savannah James has nothing to worry about when the James household’s king is away.

Fans of LeBron James ‘ wife are always making sure the former NBA champ is on his best behavior months after online chatter for seemingly having too grand a time laughing with Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and the team’s executive director, Linda Rambis.

The franchise’s star was seated between the ladies on International Women’s Day as they attended the Lakers match against the Milwaukee Bucks.

At the time, fans had a field day instigating that the otherwise innocent exchanges between the three parties would lead to trouble at home. Now, four months later, the four-time NBA Championship winner is on the other side of discourse about his friendly behavior when interacting with women other than his wife of over a decade.

On July 26, photos of LeBron with South African singer Tyla became a hot topic. This time, social media users are praising him for not doing the most while posing for the images with one of the music industry’s burgeoning acts.

The new artist was a special guest performer at The Prelude, a pre-Olympics kickoff party attended by celebrities and, of course, some of Team USA’s athletes, like LeBron, who will be competing for gold in the Paris 2024 Games.

The event was co-hosted by actress Charlize Theron, tennis great Serena Williams, as well as Spanish singer Rosalía, and “Lupin” star Omar Sy. Tyla treated attendees to a mini-show, performing songs like the viral hit “Water,” “Jump,” and “Thata Ahh.” She was dressed in an oversized Louis Vuitton jersey, tiny black shorts, and thigh-high boots for the occasion.

At some point in the evening, she posed with the men’s basketball captain. In one image, Tyla and LeBron both appear straight-faced as the athlete stands with his hands in his pocket and Tyla is a mere inches in front of him.

In the second image, the only thing that shifted was the petition performer’s facial expression, which she swapped out for closed eyes and a tonguey smile. The latter stirred up some backlash when the photos were posted to The Shade Room .

“Back up girl. That ain’t how we do it here in the States with married men,” a user wrote. “Girl, put your tongue back in your mouth standing next to Savannah’s man!!!” read another comment. A third individual warned, “Tyla back up boo Savannah don’t play that.”

Countless others were quick to point out that attempts to make the photos something more salacious were futile because of LeBron’s pose. “LeBron doing the right thing hands in pockets this is how you stay Scandal Free,” wrote one of supporters.

Another onlooker joked, “LeBron trying hard to avoid LeDogHouse.” And a third pointed out that “Savannah don’t take pics with men at all … that’s all ima say.”

A rumor that the mother of three only obliged female fans’ request for photos with her circulated in early January 2024. Many people ran with the narrative that Savannah does not take photos with other men as a sign of respect for her marriage.

However, her stylist debunked the claims, saying that a video of two men attempting to quickly record themselves with her at a Lakers-Boston Celtics game was denied because they didn’t ask; instead, they used a more guerrilla tactic by already having the phones out and filming her as she walked by. In the clip, Savannah appears to wave them off before embracing someone she knows.

But not all the comments were slights toward Tyla taking advantage of an opportunity to be photographed with the NBA superstar.

“In South Africa we respect our elders…trust me she sees him as an elder. So please relax people,” read one defense. Someone else suggested, “He’s literally old enough to be her father. Y’all creeps need to chill. Bronny on the other hand… That’s a good father right there.”

Bronny James , 19, is following in his father’s footsteps after being drafted to play for the Lakers in June. Fans have comically theorized that his father orchestrated his entry into the league as a means to guide the rookie around common pitfalls such as scandals involving women. Publicly, the James family has not addressed the messy speculations.

‘Back Up Boo, Savannah Don’t Play That’: Tyla Spotted Standing ‘Too Close’ to LeBron James as the ‘Water’ Singer Comes Under Attack By Fans