I love LeBron James for many reasons, one of which is that he gives a good interview. He’s interesting and interested in the world. He’s a curious, thoughtful man who doesn’t wallow in toxic masculinity and sports-bro bulls–t. He openly enjoys Disney movies, female-led comedies and… candles. Yes, LeBron James gave an interview to GQ about how he’s obsessed with candles. He travels a lot because of away-games and because, I would assume, his many sponsorships and endorsement appearances. He doesn’t like the way hotels smell, so he brings his own candles, or buys some at the hotel gift shop. I love him. Some highlights from this GQ piece:

He’s a careful packer: “I’m a size 15, 16 shoe, so I’ve got to be very efficient with how I pack. I’ve got one bag that’s just dedicated to my shoes, because my shoes take up so much space… I have a travel look, a game look, and I pack my essentials in my room, like my toiletries, my candles, my Beats Pill, my iPad, my game film, all of that stuff.”

Yes, he packs his own favorite candles: “Candles! I have to light a candle in my room on every road trip while I’m in my room. It has a lot to do with the energy of the universe. I’m very high on that—I actually get that from my wife. But I also just love the smell of candles. You know, hotel rooms can have a stagnant smell. I think a candle gives it a fresher smell. I can bring some home with me, it makes me very comfortable. So the energy, the essence, behind a candle, and also the smell quality of just keeping me as comfortable away as I am when I’m home.”

Candle preferences: “Diptyque is one of my favorite brands. I love all their ranges of candles. I carry those,” he says. (His publicist clarifies that LeBron prefers that brand’s Baies scent.) And if disaster strikes? “If I run out of candles, I’ll actually walk down to the gift shop at the hotel and see if they have good ones. Any time I’m staying at the Four Seasons—I don’t know the brand that they work with, but they have great selections of candles, and I will pick from them.”

[From GQ]

I love when celebrity men have these little quirks. John Mayer is a serious collector of watches. Chris Pine has strong feelings about his flip-phone. And LeBron is obsessed with candles. The way he explains it, it makes perfect sense. When he’s on the road, he wants a sense/scent memory of home, so he lights one of his favorite candles. And why do I think that LeBron will probably be getting a candle endorsement sometime soon? Diptyque should totally sign him up.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid and Avalon Red.