Philly artist paints LeBron mural in Chinatown inspired by D-Wade assistAnthony GharibAug 12, 2026, 07:00 AM ETMultiple Authors
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Countless players have set LeBron James up for a slam dunk across his two-decade-plus NBA career. But a freshly painted mural in Philadelphia has James catching a hypothetical dime from a prominent member of the city’s history: William Penn.
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Murals have popped up in and around the city since James decided to sign with the 76ers last month. The newest one in Chinatown, by Philadelphia-based artist Chenlin Cai, depicts James jamming home a dunk while Penn celebrates below him.
The mural is titled: “The Legendary Partner for the City of Brotherly Love.” Located at 938 Arch Street, the mural was purposely painted down the street from the Chinatown Friendship Arch. The arch was dedicated in 1984 as “a tribute to the contributions of Philadelphia’s Chinese community.”
Painted freehand from Sunday to Tuesday, Cai sketched it out on Procreate, a digital painting and illustration app, before receiving permission from a property owner to paint on the wall. His newest work includes multiple references to Asian culture, the city of Philadelphia and the 76ers.
“I [wanted] to make this mural really Asian, really LeBron James, really Philadelphia,” Cai told ESPN. “It’s just kind of three factors put together.”
Penn posing in front of James is an image reminiscent of an iconic photo from a Dec. 6, 2010 game. James’ then-Miami Heat teammate Dwyane Wade passed James the ball for an emphatic dunk early in the first quarter. Wade famously celebrated before James finished the play, leading to a viral photo. Cai replaced Wade with Penn, who founded Pennsylvania in 1681 and subsequently Philadelphia.
Philadelphia-based artist Chenlin Cai was inspired by an iconic image of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade from December 2010. Chenlin CaiThe inspiration of Penn’s inclusion is two-fold. The day James signed with the 76ers, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro declared it “LeBron James Day,” prompting Cai’s idea. Though Wade was one of James’ best partners on the court, Cai likened Penn — and the city — to his current one.
“Dwyane Wade assist and his best partner. Now Philadelphia is his best partner,” he stated.
But the mural holds a deeper meaning than an English Quaker and one of the NBA’s greatest players connecting for a highlight.
It’s purposely set in Chinatown because Cai says he hopes James can bring a positive impact to the community, while bridging it with other ones. Chinatown faced potential gridlock and displacement after the 76ers’ plans for a new downtown arena were approved in late 2024. The team decided against it weeks later following opposition from Chinatown residents and activists, among others.
Cai, who immigrated from China to Philadelphia in 2014, could have painted it in South Philadelphia, but stated he preferred his first mural of James to be in Chinatown. He wanted to potentially foreshadow James’ impact on the area and tell a story for Asian communities.
“If this mural can bring more foot traffic, visitors, it can bring more business opportunity to Chinatown, right? And it can make Chinatown better. I wanted to bring Chinatown some positive effect, as well as I want LeBron James, he can bring a bigger effect than mine,” Cai told ESPN. “But this is why I try to do this. I want this to become positive no matter how because the more people come, the more people understand, learn about Chinatown, learn about the culture.”
Born three months before James, Cai called himself a big fan of the star. He heard about the four-time NBA champion in 2002 while in high school. His fandom began then, following him until he came to America.
Cai earned his master’s degree at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and remained in Chinatown painting murals for Asian communities across Philadelphia and Chinatown. The James mural is no different, containing various Asian culture elements and patterns.
Cai’s mural is set down the street from the Chinatown Friendship Arch, which was dedicated in 1984 as “a tribute to the contributions of Philadelphia’s Chinese community.” Chenlin CaiAccording to Cai, the core visual inspiration is from an ancient Chinese legend of the “Dragon’s Gate.” In his mural, the basketball hoop is reminiscent of a crown, a play on LeBron’s “King James” nickname. But it’s also a glowing dragon ball. James leaps out of waves, which look similar to the Japanese painting “The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” to slam the ball into the crown.”In Chinese culture, we have a term, it’s called the fish leaping over the dragon gate, because it means when the fish leaping high, leaping over the dragon gate, it becomes [a] dragon,” Cai stated.By completing the mural near the friendship arch, Cai is painting that James will leap over the gate and transform into a dragon, portending that his career will reach new peaks in Philadelphia.”It’s kind of the many meanings, many symbolic, all the metaphor in my design,” he stated.Even James’ shoes have a special story. He’s wearing the LeBron Soldier XIV “Sisterhood” design, which Cai received as a Christmas gift from his wife in 2021. Philadelphia is known as the “City of Brotherly Love,” so Cai also saw it as a purposeful connection to the city and women who enjoy the game.Red, white and blue colors are the main palette for the mural. It references colors of the 76ers and America. But, red is also a popular color in Asian — especially Chinese — culture.Painted on the back of a popular ice cream store, Cai’s work gained traction on social media while he was finishing it. The 76ers have yet to play a game and James has yet to even pose in a 76ers jersey. But with just over two months before the season tips off, James’ impact in the city is already resonating more than any slam dunk might — even if Penn earned the assist.
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