AKRON, Ohio (AP) LeBron James wore a tailored, slim-fitting, gray designer suit and black-rimmed glasses. He wanted to make a strong impression on the first day of school.
After all, its his school.
Hoping to inspire and provide support to kids facing the same problems he experienced during a rough childhood, James officially opened the I Promise School, a cutting-edge center built in a partnership with the NBA stars family foundation and Akron City Schools.
As the Goodyear blimp soared over him, James reminded a crowd that included family, friends and fans who will now watch him play for the Los Angeles Lakers after four more mesmerizing seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, that hes one of them.
Just a kid from Akron.
I know exactly what these 240 kids are going through, he said, referring to the third-and fourth-graders who comprise the schools first classes. I know the ups the downs. I know everything they dream about. I know all the nightmares they have, because Ive been there.
Long before he became a globally celebrated sports celebrity and three-time champion, James was a lost little boy growing up without a father and wondering where his life was headed. He and his mom, Gloria, struggled for years. There was little money and less structure.
They moved constantly, and there were long periods when James didnt attend school he missed 82 days in fourth grade because Gloria didnt have a car and there was no other way of transportation.
We didnt have stability day to day where I didnt know where I was going to be living, so it was no way that I could even get there, he said. So, it was a surprise to me when I woke up and I was actually going to school. So, I just felt like every day I was just waking up and I had just a bunch of time of nothing. There were just a lot of empty days, empty nights and just kind of a no future thought process.
I was just kind of living in the moment, so, thats just how it was.
His past is shaping the future for others.
James has modeled the school, and so many other education initiatives started by Michele Campbell, executive director of The LeBron James Family Foundation, to combat the obstacles he faced. Hes giving at-risk children, some with learning disabilities and others from broken homes, opportunities they couldnt have imagined, including food and other amenities.
The school, which will expand to include grades 1-8 by 2020, also has a resource center that helps families navigate daily challenges and facilitate long-term planning, and parents of I Promise students can earn their GEDs or high school diplomas.
