It’s shirtless night on the bright court in Akron, Ohio, and the confined rectangle is packed with budding basketball players who dream of one day becoming famous and adored like their king, LeBron James.
James used to be exactly like these guys; he would run up and down the basketball courts, hungry to conquer the challenges that were presented to him as a result of his background.
One arrogant youngster reveals to Foreign Correspondent that his ultimate goal is to play for the NBA and “beat his record.”
“No disrespect (to James),” he says as an additional comment.
The same brilliant young man charges for the basket, but he can’t make his improvised shot, and then he grins at the camera. “Delete that,” he instructs me to do.
A lazy teenager grabs the ball in order to demonstrate a slam dunk to the group from Australia.
He tosses the ball into the stifling air and then dives after it, delivering a powerful strike that sends the ball crashing through the basket.
There isn’t much of a debate about who the greatest basketball player of all time is in this part of Cleveland, which is LeBron James’ hometown.(Matt Roberts is our correspondent based overseas)
The swish-puff of nets and the whistle-screech of shoes on concrete produce a chorus of youthful games that you can discover in any of the world’s pockets of poverty. The sounds of the court constitute a chorus of youthful games.
Indians play cricket on the sidewalks, while Mexicans box in overcrowded gyms. Brazilians play football in slums known as favelas.
But since this is Akron (don’t pronounce the o), where a local boy once grew up to become probably the greatest player of all time (take your Michael Jordan rant somewhere else), the sport that people play while dreaming about is basketball.
James’s climb from poverty to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and an entrepreneur worth a billion dollars has always been supported by his connection to this very modest city located approximately an hour’s drive from Cleveland.
LeBron James is contributing millions of dollars to a program that aims to keep children who are at risk of dropping out of school in school.(Matt Roberts is our correspondent based overseas)
Now, twenty years after he was selected into the professional ranks straight out of high school, he is putting his name on the line to reimagine the manner in which children who are similar to him are brought up.
It is an ambitious social experiment, and James and his charity foundation, The LeBron James Family Foundation, have high hopes that it will inspire celebrities, corporations, and cities all throughout the United States.
According to Jessica Poiner, a senior education analyst at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute in Ohio, “the entire nation is watching this.”
“Do you agree that the stakes are rather high for him? This is his legacy; this is his [reputation]…. He has committed all of this time, effort, and financial resources. And this is where he calls home.
The ‘one who is selected’ makes a commitment.
Akron was previously known throughout the United States as “America’s Rubber City” because it was the location of the headquarters of the four largest tire manufacturers and the Goodyear airship.
However, by the time James was born in this location in 1984 and reared by his mother Gloria, the boom had already come to an end.
The first ten years of James’ life were spent traveling and mostly by himself. During the fourth grade, he was absent from school for 83 days.
A younger version of LeBron James, pictured here with his mother Gloria.(This information was provided by the LeBron James Family Foundation)
When he was nine years old, he was saved from a life of hopelessness when a local football coach named Frankie Walker and his family brought the youngster into their house and provided him with the consistency he so desperately desired.
This thoughtful act also provided his mother with additional time to look for long-term housing. It was an uphill battle, but with the Walkers’ assistance, the mother and son were eventually able to live together once more.
Just a few years later, Sports Illustrated referred to James as “The Chosen One” and the “Heir to Air Jordan” in their article about the basketball player.
While he was still in high school, LeBron James shot to fame and became a household name. At the age of 18, he signed with an NBA team.(This information was provided by the LeBron James Family Foundation)
After that, he signed a contract with Nike worth $90 million and was selected first overall in the 2003 NBA draft.
James has subsequently gone on to win two Olympic gold medals in addition to four NBA titles with a total of three different clubs.
At the age of 38, basketball retirement is not too far off, but his involvement with charitable organizations is growing.
His foundation’s “I Promise” programs, which include his one-of-a-kind elementary and middle school, take precedence over all other endeavors.
This is his most controversial endeavor, which also happens to be his most ambitious.
Since the beginning of his career, James has made it clear how much he values his relationship with his hometown. In 2004, he established his charitable organization.
Because he recalled how crucial it was to have wheels to go around the neighborhood, his charity began by holding bike-a-thons in Akron and distributing hundreds of bicycles. He did this because he recalled how important it was.
By 2010, James had established himself as the top player in the world, despite the fact that he was not yet the most popular player.
He shocked fans when he left Cleveland to join the Miami Heat, a decision that not only altered the power dynamic between great sportsmen and team owners, but also drew allegations of betrayal from those who followed him in Cleveland before the move.
