LeBron James is adding a visual representation of his “King James” nickname with a major rework for one of the most prominent autographs in modern collecting.
Trading card manufacturer Topps announced Monday that James has updated his signature to include a crown illustration above his “LJ” initials. A preview image for James’ new autograph featured a one-of-a-kind Superfractor of the Masters insert from 2025-26 Topps Finest Basketball, which was released in February. James’ autographs from that set were redemptions, meaning there were placeholder cards inserted into packs with a redemption code on them, with the actual autographed cards sent out at a later date.
EXCLUSIVE: LeBron James has officially changed his autograph 👑👀 pic.twitter.com/TjfjnNYnhB
— Topps (@Topps) March 30, 2026
This new signature is at least the third notable change to James’ autograph since agreeing to his first major exclusive autograph deal with Upper Deck in 2002. James’ rookie autographs with Upper Deck were built around his No. 23 jersey number followed by his initials. That signature is featured on many of his most expensive cards, including the 2003-04 Exquisite Collection Rookie Patch Autograph, limited to just 23 copies, one of which sold for a record $5.2 million in a 2021 private sale. James later changed his signature in 2010 to feature his “LJ” initials followed by “#6” when he joined the Miami Heat and changed his jersey number.
James’ autograph got another rework in 2014 when he rejoined the Cleveland Cavaliers and switched his jersey back to No. 23. That design has been slightly refined and used since James joined Fanatics Collectibles, Topps’ parent company, as an exclusive autograph signer in 2024.
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James now joins a small club of NBA players who show off their artistic side with their autographs. The other member of that club is Victor Wembanyama, who sometimes adds alien doodles to his signature in a nod to his own nickname.
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Fanatics didn’t immediately respond when asked by The Athletic whether James’ new crown signature will be for all of his autographs or just some, as with Wembanyama’s aliens.
Significant changes to athletes’ autographs can happen over the years, or even over the course of a single lengthy signing session. Topps announced in February 2025 that Shohei Ohtani, another Fanatics Collectibles exclusive athlete, had signed select cards with a new alternative autograph. Like James, Ohtani’s signature has changed several times over the years. Tom Brady is another top athlete who changed his autograph over the course of his career, as he explained to a card dealer at Fanatics Fest last year. His most recent change uses his jersey number (12) to make the B in his last name.
San Diego Padres All-Star outfielder Jackson Merrill has also notably experimented with his autograph, which resulted in a number of variations and a fair amount of confusion for collectors. According to Merrill, the reasoning wasn’t complicated.
“Well, when you’re signing a box of 3,000 cards from Topps, you don’t want to sit there and have a long autograph,” Merrill told The Athletic last April. “In the beginning, I was just doing a ‘J,’ and then it evolved a little bit. I kind of just wanted to change it on certain things, like certain more important items. Like, one-of-one stuff. If I was feeling nice one day, maybe I do a couple (more time-intensive autographs).”
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