LeBron James may be a member of the Los Angeles Lakers now, but he still has ties to Northeast Ohio, and they run deep.
On Monday morning, the doors of a brand new public school were opened in the Akron area. This is no ordinary school, though. This institution ā designed for third and fourth graders ā was established by the LeBron James Family Foundation.
James' new school has several impressive features, including a grand set of curved stairways that greet visitors at the entrance, a unique āIPSā chandelier hanging from the trace ceiling, and 114 game-worn shoes lining the walls to the left and right.
114 pairs of @KingJames game worn shoes line the walls of the @IPROMISESchool lobby š¤Æš„ #IPROMISE pic.twitter.com/7J0yZpUo9G
ā LeBron James Family Foundation (@LJFamFoundation) July 30, 2018
@KingJames 3rd graders are reciting the #IPROMISE for the first time in their new home with Principal Davis! ā¤ļøš¤ #WeAreFamily pic.twitter.com/Gitytnq31t
ā I PROMISE School (@IPROMISESchool) July 30, 2018
Look closely and you'll notice that there is only one of each shoe hanging on the walls.
According to a tweet from the LeBron James Family Foundation, the matching shoe from each pair will be available for purchase through Upper Deck Sports, with the proceeds going towards the LeBron James Family Foundation initiatives.
The matching shoe from each pair will be available for purchase through @UpperDeckSports with the proceeds going towards the @LJFamFoundation initiatives. The purchaser will receive their game worn shoe & their name on the #IPROMISE School wall! š
ā LeBron James Family Foundation (@LJFamFoundation) July 30, 2018
James was admittedly nervous about the opening of this new school. After all, this is a project he's poured his heart into for nearly ten years, and now it's come to fruition.
The jitters before the first day of school are real right now!!! Tomorrow is going to be one of the greatest moments (if not the greatest) of my life when we open the #IPROMISE School. This skinny kid from Akron who missed 83 days of school in the 4th grade had big dreamsā¦ https://t.co/PwmRaHRfng
ā LeBron James (@KingJames) July 29, 2018
James, now 33 years of age, knows a thing or two about what it's like to grow up in an inner-city environment. At a young age, he saw violence, drugs, and instability. These kids know those same struggles, but if they stay focused, they'll have a shot at free college tuition.
Via ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:
āFor those who complete the program, which has been operating for years, James has arranged for free tuition to the University of Akron starting in 2021. He also created a program for parents of the at-risk children to return to complete their high school educations, and he has planned an institute to help prepare high-school-age students for college.ā
James posted an Uninterrupted video on Sunday. In the clip, the former No. 1 overall pick detailed his excitement for the school's opening.
āI know these kids,ā James said in his Uninterrupted video. āBasically, more than they know themselves. I walked the same streets, I rode the same bikes on the streets that they ride on. I went through the same emotions ā the good, the bad, the adversity, and everything that these kids are going through.ā
.@KingJames. More than an athlete. pic.twitter.com/aZGthMCEBv
ā UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) July 29, 2018
James is known as one of the best athletes of all-time, but it's acts like these that make him so much more than just that. If these kids maintain their drive, the sky is the limit.
Who knows? Maybe the next Michelle Obama comes from Summit County, Ohio.
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