LeBron James Offering L.A. Spread Slightly Below Purchase at $20.5M

Published: March 6, 2021 | By: American Luxury Staff

Last October, NBA heavyweight LeBron James purchased an estate that had formerly been owned by soap opera creator and writer Lee Phillip Bell. The Beverly Hills property ran the Lakers star nearly $37 million, but was a turnkey historic 90210 trophy home—a Spanish ranch that was completed in the middle of the 1940s set on a 2.5-acre hilltop lot offering some of the finer views in the neighborhood.

That perhaps made James’ $21 million purchase of this estate in Brentwood in 2015 redundant, as the property appeared on the open market this week with a below-purchase ask of $20.5 million. The house went up in 2011, and was designed by Southern California architectural style maven Ken Ungar.

A streetside impression is of a conservative home that takes cues from prewar L.A.-area traditional-style mansions, a bit of stone, a trio of roof dormer. Behind a gated entry and brick pilasters, the garage is featured prominently, and boasts carriage house design elements; the entry is extremely inviting: gently recessed, with a pendant lantern.

Inside the six-bedroom, 9,440 sq. ft. home, the renovations conducted during James’ ownership stand out. There’s a lot more texture to occupy the eye, and judicious use of color as well. Nothing dramatic or overwhelming, mind, but the home looks less reticent than it did. Amenities include an elevator, a library, a gym, and a media room.

The property’s outdoor living style is marvelous—a pergola-capped patio and a breezy semi-circular dayroom with a window seat are outstanding indoor/outdoor and outdoor living areas. A large lawn, a lap pool with a surrounding wood deck, and a cabana complete a quick look at the grounds of this unusually fine recent build in Brentwood.

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