KING JAMES Comes to the Know Theatre in September

Know Theatre of Cincinnati will open its 28th season with a new play about the importance of male friendship.  King James by Ohio native Rajiv Joseph tells the story of  Matt and Shawn, two Clevelanders whose unlikely friendship is forged when hometown hero,  “King” LeBron James, shoots to basketball superstardom with the Cavaliers.

Weathering together the highs and lows of a twelve-year friendship – from LeBron's rookie season through his NBA championship – King James is a celebration of basketball and chosen brotherhood. Directed by Darnell Pierre Benjamin and staged in the intimacy of the Underground Bar of the Know Theatre, this Regional Premiere runs September 11–27, 2025.

“Over the course of four quarters we witness two men open themselves up to one another because the game gives them permission,” says director Darnell Pierre Benjamin. “There's something spiritual about sports: a massive group of people in-person and variously dispersed in front of television screens, all focused on the same thing - the cheers, the boos, the chants, the community, the collective holding of breath. Perhaps this play is indeed, the Bible to male friendship.”

Cast: Kieran Cronin (Matt) and Phillip Latham (Shawn)