LeBron James
leaves a school as a legacy in Akron, Ohio.
AKRON, Ohio — LeBron James stood before his city one more time, gray suit and white shirt gleaming, thick beard groomed just right. He peered through blackrimmed glasses and gripped a microphone as he spoke. It looked like a pencil in his big, basketball hands.
“In closing, thank you so much,” James said.
“We love you!” the crowd shouted.
“I love you, too,” he replied. “I really do. I really do.”
And when the cheers softened, The Kid From Akron ended a day in which he strengthened his commitment to his hometown by doing something seemingly contradictory. He said goodbye.
“And know, no matter if I’m playing in Los Angeles or not, Akron, Ohio, is always home for me,” James said. “Always.”
James called Monday perhaps the greatest day of his life. He celebrated the opening of the I Promise School, the offspring of an enterprising partnership between his foundation and Akron Public Schools that intends to change the lives of some of the city’s most underprivileged children. But this was also his first public appearance since he left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Los Angeles Lakers in early July. And so if this was the greatest day of his life, he also admitted it was bittersweet.
“On one hand, I’m opening up a school where I would love to be here every single day when my schedule permits,” James said late Monday afternoon, standing in a classroom in the stunning facility. “And then on the other hand, I’m starting a new journey in my life where I’m on the other coast. But when you have the support system and you have the people around you that’s helped you along the way, you know you never travel alone. So it makes the transition easier.”
James is moving away. And he is staying forever. In his world, this is neither contradictory nor unorthodox. He doesn’t feel the need to choose. He can be King James and The Kid from Akron. He can live in just one place, but his impact can be ubiquitous. He can satisfy his worldly curiosity while keeping his promise to uplift his home region. As James’ two passions clashed on this day, it was also clear what allows them to operate jointly: ambition. Whatever the persona or pursuit, it is ambition that makes James the quintessential American sports superstar. In everything he does, he refuses to settle, and he dreams a little differently. So it figures he would be the fish that wants to swim in the small and big pond simultaneously.
On Monday, he made history at home and fantasized about adding to the tradition of the Lakers, one of the NBA’s historic superpowers.
“There’s no reason you should become a Laker, become a Yankee, become part of Man U, become part of some franchise or clubs like that, and you don’t think about winning championships or winning at the highest level,” James said. “That’s what the history is all about.”
But for the most part, James kept his reasoning for signing with the Lakers understated. He talked a little about it to appease the media, which he thanked for coming to Akron to cover the school opening. But he was adamant about focusing on the I Promise School.
When James returned to the Cavaliers four years ago, he was intent on fulfilling a promise. He wanted to deliver a championship, which he did in the most dramatic manner possible in 2016, upsetting the 73-win Golden State Warriors after falling behind 3-1 in the NBA Finals. But he also wanted to make more of a difference at home.
A few years ago, James was brainstorming with Michele Campbell, the executive director of the LeBron James Family Foundation. They were talking about making an even greater impact. In 2011, the foundation established its I Promise program, taking on a class of third graders and giving them the resources, incentives and support — academically and emotionally — to thrive. Campbell’s idea for a school was the extension of that concept. She thought she was just thinking out loud — couldn’t we help more kids and families with an entire school? — but James reacted seriously.
“Well, why aren’t you doing that then?” James said, according to Campbell.
The I Promise School has begun with 240 students, 120 each in the third and fourth grades. The plan is to expand gradually and serve students from kindergarten to eighth grade by 2022. The students being served have dire academic and emotional needs. They are some of the lowest-performing students in the district. The mission is to turn around the children’s academic lives by changing the lives of everyone in their families. The school provides services to assist children dealing with trauma and to support and educate parents trying to survive poverty. At the school, there are opportunities for parents who didn’t graduate high school to study for their GEDs. There is a pantry with donations from a food bank, and parents can pick up groceries to take home and prepare meals. They call this approach “family wraparound support.”