NBA
LeBron James Had a More Depressing Childhood Than You Think
Joe Kozlowski began his career as a sports journalist in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2019. He covers the NBA and soccer for Sportscasting, with specialties in legacy NBA players such as Michael Jordan and Premier League club Arsenal. Off the clock, he's a Kansas City Chiefs fan and a hockey goalie. Growing up loving Shaquille O'Neal and reading everything he could about the great big men throughout NBA history — likely because he was still tall enough, at least relative to his peers, to play center — he's continued to love learning about and exploring the historical and story-based sides of the basketball archives. As for Arsenal, Joe spent a year living in London and latched onto the local support of the club. He's barely missed a match since, loving Arsene Wenger, enduring the Banter Era, and following along through rebuilds. The Premier League interest developed into a passionate following of the Champions League, Europe's big five league, and international soccer as a whole when played at the highest level. Regardless of the sport, Joe is captivated by the stories of athletes beyond the box scores and how they push the envelope — both in terms of what we think a human is capable of accomplishing and how they find new competitive tactics to win.
Get to know Joe Kozlowski betterPublished22 Apr 2020
It’s easy to assume that professional athletes are living the dream. They get to play a children’s game for a living, after all, and are paid handsomely for their efforts. Once you look beyond the money, however, even the biggest stars are still human beings. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is living proof of that reality.
While James has been dominating the basketball scene since he was in high school, his life hasn’t been a walk in the park. In fact, King James’ childhood was tougher than you might think.
LeBron James’ early rise to prominence
Most athletes reach the national stage during their time in college. LeBron James, however, was simply too talented to remain under the radar.
During his freshman year at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, James earned a place on the varsity basketball team; unsurprisingly, he started dominating the competition. At the end of his sophomore season, LeBron took home the Ohio Mr. Basketball title and earned a place on the USA Today All-USA First Team.
After that, James’ star only continued to rise. His games started appearing on television; no matter the opposition, LeBron always seemed to rise to the occasion. By the time he entered the 2003 NBA draft—he, of course, went first overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers—the teenager was nationally known as the next big name in basketball.
The road to the NBA started in difficult circumstances
LeBron James hasn’t always felt the same way about Cleveland.
— ESPN (@espn) November 21, 2018
Catch his thoughts on his childhood and more on “More Than An Athlete,” streaming now exclusively on ESPN+ https://t.co/07YZsRpNnR pic.twitter.com/wFUtZwOJHJ
On the basketball court, LeBron James seemed like the perfect player. His childhood, however, was anything but ideal.
In 2003, Lawrence Donegan chronicled James’ rapid rise to fame for the Guardian. LeBron’s mother, Gloria ‘Glo’ James, gave birth to him when she was 16-years old; his father, Anthony McClelland, was “a casual boyfriend with an extensive criminal record.” That left Gloria to fend for her young family on her own.
LeBron bounced between houses, living in as many as six locations in a single year. He was absent from school more often than not; “I saw drugs, guns, killings; it was crazy,” James explained to Donegan. One moment, however, would change everything.
After learning about Glo’s situation, Frank Walker, LeBron’s football coach, offered to give the boy a home. “My life changed. I had shelter and food,’ LeBron explained in that Guardian feature. “I’ll never forget what the Walkers did for me, especially Frank. He doesn’t get the recognition he deserves because he’s real quiet, but he was the first one to give me a basketball and the first one to show a real interest.”
LeBron James has made good on his opportunity
The next chapter in our story: The I PROMISE Village by @graduatehotel
— LeBron James Family Foundation (@LJFamFoundation) November 4, 2019
This home will serve as transitional housing for our families who need a safe, comforting place to stay as they work through challenges they may be facing.#WeAreFamily pic.twitter.com/BE47ftaLqQ
Thanks to Frank Walker, LeBron James got a chance to have a more normal childhood. It’s safe to say he has more than made good on that opportunity.
James has developed into one of the biggest stars in basketball history; at this point, his athletic resume speaks for itself. The forward has won three titles, two Olympic gold medals, and four NBA MVP awards; with all respect to His Airness, he’s the closest thing we have to the second coming of Michael Jordan. LeBron’s greatness, however, extends beyond the hardwood. For those who follow his career and enjoy placing wagers, basketball betting sites offer numerous opportunities to bet on LeBron’s games and performances, adding an extra layer of excitement to watching him play.
While almost every major athletes does charitable work, James is doing his part to make sure the children of Akron, Ohio get on the right track. The LeBron James Family Foundation does everything from running the free I Promise School to helping students pay for college; there’s even an I Promise Village, which provides transitional housing, hopefully keeping students from experiencing the same struggles that James himself did.
LeBron James might have had a tough childhood, but that wasn’t the end of his story. Instead, it was only the beginning.
