J-Speaks: New Team, New School For LeBron James

LeBron James has done a lot of supreme things in his NBA career. He was named league MVP multiple times. Led two teams to championship glory. He joined a different team in his first chance at free agency and returned four years later to lead his for all intensive purposes his hometown team to its first pro sports title in a little over five decades. This summer he is on the move again, this time to the West Coast. While he may not be a Cavalier anymore again, he left what will a very important part of his legacy, which will have a major impact on the next generation of young kids in Akron, OH. 

On July 1, James, the four-time league MVP who agreed to a four-year, $153.3 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. He officially signed his contract one week and a day later to join the 16-time champion franchise that he hopes to lead to another Larry O’Brien trophy possible more. 

“This is like a dream come true for me,” the new face of the Lakers said of his latest move in a video on his site, Uniterrupted. “You know growing up I was a [Dallas] Cowboys fan. I was a Bulls fan. I was a Yankees fan, and I always felt like that was like one of the historic franchises, and you look at the Lakers.” 

“Being able to play for a historic franchise with so much history, and now being able to partner with [Earvin] ‘Magic’ Johnson, someone I kinda like looked up to when I was younger and wanted to make no look passes like Magic, wanted to get on the break ‘Showtime’ like ‘Magic’ and then for it to all come to fruition as this point...” 

“The excitement that I have to be a Laker. I’m happy to be a part of it because I believe the Lakers is a historical franchise. We all know that. But it’s a championship franchise and that’s what were trying to get back to.” 

This summer marked the third time in James’ soon to be Hall of Fame career that he has changed teams. He bolted from the Cleveland Cavaliers eight years ago for the Miami Heat, but made an emotional return in the summer of 2014 determined to lead the Cavaliers to their first title in franchise history and the first pro sports championship for the city in 52 years. 

The 33-year-old had said previously that he wanted to end his career near where he grew up in Akron, OH with the wine and gold Cavs and while he is leaving again, fans of the team he led to four consecutive NBA Finals as the Eastern Conference representative left in a more favorable fashion as to 2010 after helping end the city’s 52-year championship drought in 2016. 

After he announcened that he was leaving the Cavs again in free agency, James posted on his Instagram account a three-photo tribute to the Cavaliers’ fans which said, “Thank you Northeast Ohio for an incredible four seasons. This will always be home.” 

One of those incredible moments during those four years was the chase down block of Warriors 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala on the fast break in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals that the Cavs as mentioned won to claim their first title in franchise history, overcoming a 3-1 deficit. 

“It’s always a tough decision when you leave home. It’s a decision that’s best for me and my family and I think both sides feel great an appreciative of the moments and the time we have spent together.” 

While his basketball career may be over with the Cavs, his added to his overall legacy by planting a very important flag that will have a positive impact on the young kids of his hometown. 

Last Monday, the “I Promise School,” which James and his team at The LeBron James Family Foundation have been working on for a decade opened its doors. 

It is a public school for at risk youth in his hometown that will initially house 240 third-and-fourth-graders. It will add second and fifth graders by 2019 and by 2022 will house students from grades 1-8. 

The newest Laker was in attendance at the opening on Monday to welcome the students and called this moment probably one of the best days of his life.

The opening of “I Promise” was something James promised many years ago he would build and this accomplishment was him making good that word by uniting his community at a time where our world at times is becoming more divided with the 44^th President of the United States in Donald J. Trump leading the way in the mind of James. 

“No matter if I’m playing in Los Angeles or not, Akron, OH is always home for me. Always,” James said at the opening of the school. 

An immaculate place built via a partnership with the LeBron James Foundation and the Akron Public School district with some of the valuable sneakers and paintings and photos of the career of a player that has a plethora of accolades showing how a person who was in the position that some of the kids that will walk the halls of his school once were. 

James who grew up in a single parent household without his father frequently was not in the classroom for as he and his mother struggled each day to get by. 

To bring this into context, James told ESPN host of “NBA: The Jump” Rachel Nichols that as a fourth grader, he missed 80 days of school. That was when he and his mother did not have a permanent residence. He stayed with people his mother knew, where he managed to have place to sleep and an opportunity to have a meal. 

That is why James said building a school near the streets that he once walked where the dreams were small or there were no dreams of becoming something special matters so much. There will be a place where kids can have big dreams of chances of becoming a doctor, lawyer or in the case of James a basketball superstar.

“When I was a kid I didn’t have much. So, I always told myself if I get anything that I want to give back to some of the less fortunate,” he said. 

He added in that interview with Nichols by saying about his life as a youth, “It was mentally challenging. Sometimes you think about a kid being in the third grade at that age, 8-and-7 years old or in the fourth grade having responsibility or having stress. No kid at 8 should have stress.”  

“Sitting here in my school that I’m opening. You know around these kids. Around this community and then at the same time making the switch to the other coast being a part of the Lakers now.”

These moments also put on display why James does not quote “shut up and dribble” as he was disgracefully instructed to do by FOX News anchor Laura Ingram back in February during All-Star Weekend. If James had listen to that, the “I Promise” school does not come to fruition. 

James has also felt compelled to speak out and be that voice for the youth of not just Northeast Ohio, but kids and young adults across this nation, especially those that play pro sports that the likes of Mr. Trump and the far right of the political spectrum feel they are nothing more than just people filling the role for a short period.  

“Well for me I have a voice. I have a platform and I have so many kids. Not only kids but also adults and everybody that kind of look for guidance and look for someone to kind of lead them in a time where they feel like their voice isn’t powerful” James said to Nichols.

“When you see something that’s unjust or you see something that’s wrong or you see something that’s trying to divide us as a race or as a country then I feel like my voice can be heard and speak volumes, especially coming from a point of sports.” 

“I live in sports and for someone or a body of parties to try to divide us by using our platform of sport that has given me everything that I could ever ask for I couldn’t let that happen.”  

It is those life experiences as a youth and being able to take a stand that at times can be very uncomfortable will be very helpful to James in the next chapter of his professional basketball journey with the Lakers this upcoming season. 

Joining James in the “City of Angels” this fall will be All-Star lead guard Rajon Rondo; center JaVale McGee; forward Michael Beasley and guard Lance Stephenson, who the Lakers also signed in free agency, while re-signing guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. 

James will also be teamed up with a talented you core of third-year forward Brandon Ingram, and second-year guard Lonzo Ball, forward Kyle Kuzma, and guard/forward Josh Hart. 

It is not just the fact James is joining a new team with new teammates, but he is joining a very stacked Western Conference that has the team that has left a bad taste in his mouth in three of the last four off-seasons, the back-to-back NBA champion Golden State Warriors. 

When asked by Nichols why he chose to join the Lakers as supposed to joining the Houston Rockets or staying in the East joining the Philadelphia 76ers, James said at this point in his career he likes the challenge of helping a team like the Lakers reach a place that they have not been in a while, the playoffs. The five-year postseason drought is the longest in franchise history. 

She also asked him why he did not ask them to do whatever it took to get Kawhi Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs? 

“I love the young guys that they have,” James’ answer was to that question. “I’m not trying to force my hand in no way shape or form. I believe Rob [Pelinka] and ‘Magic’ and Jeannie [Buss] have done an unbelievable job of kind of reshaping what the organization should be in the last few years.” 

The other free agent that the Lakers hoped to sign this off-season was swingman Paul George, but he decided to re-sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“I feel like they know what’s best for the team and I wanted to be a piece to kind of continue that motion of being back to being a championship franchise where they should be.” 

While the free agent signings the Lakers have had this off-season has raised more than a few eyebrows in McGee who was a “Shaqtin a Fool” MVP; Beasley who once was photographed with wrist watches on his ankles; and Stephenson who will do weird things on the court like when he blew in the ear of James once in a playoff game, James likes vets like these because they eat, sleep and drink hoops. 

“At the end of the day, guys that love to play ball and that’s what they do every single day I love that,” he said. “Bringing Lance, JaVale and Beas and Rondo, guys that just everyday they wake up they think about the game of basketball.” 

“Eyebrows are always going to get raised when my name is involved anyway. So, it shouldn’t he a surprised.” 

In the span of two months LeBron James changed teams as well as conferences from Eastern to Western. Unlike his first departure, he left the Cavs with a Larry O’Brien trophy in their case. More importantly, with the help of the Akron Public Schools system and his foundation, built a school that will provide an opportunity to kids of Akron, OH to achieve their dreams whatever they may be. 

Nothing in the life of LeBron James has been easy. Nothing has come without a struggle or putting in tremendous amounts of hard work and dedication.

That has resulted him in becoming the 2003-04 Kia Rookie of the Year. An All-Star the last 14 straight seasons. Being named First Team All-NBA 12 times, including the last 11 seasons in succession. A five-time First-Team All-Defensive selection; a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist for Team USA (2008 and 2012) and the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award winner. 

Perhaps more important than what he accomplished on the hardwood is how he has given back to his hometown of Akron, OH. It began with a bikeathon that he would hold in the summer time the past few seasons to now opening the “I Promise School” that will provide children the opportunity to reach their unlimited potential and become productive, caring, and dedicated citizens in a society that at times roles their eyes at what they can be. 

Those kids will be reminded of what is important from all the signs and sayings across the school like “We Are Family.” “I will Promise. I will work hard; I will never give up; I will do my best; I will dream big; I will stand tall; I will succeed.”

As far as James leading the Los Angeles Lakers back to the top of the NBA mountain, beginning with this upcoming season, the soon to be 34-year old said, “I don’t feel like this is the last years of my prime and I think that’s another statistic number, and I’ve always been a part of beating the odds in life.” 

“So, I don’t feel like this is even a rebuilding year for us. We have an opportunity to do something that a lot of people do think we could do and we love the notion of it’s another rebuilding year, and we don’t have enough. So, that will motivate the guys that we have anyways.” 

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of, 7/30/18 7 a.m. edition of ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Cecilia Vega, Amy Roback, George Stephanopoulos and Rob Marciano, story by T.J. Holmes; 7/30/18 www.nba.com story, “LeBron James Explains What Led to Him to Pick Los Angeles Lakers in Free Agency;” 7/30/18 www.nba.com story, “Los Angeles-Bound LeBron James Opens School in Akron as Part of Legacy;” 7/31/18 6 a.m. edition of ESPN’s “Sportscenter with Scott Van Pelt,” with interview from Rachel Nichols; 7/31/18 7 a.m. edition NBC’s “Today,” with Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker, and Sheinelle Jones, with report from Gadi Schwartz; 7/31/18 6 p.m. edition of ESPN’s “Sportscenter,” with Kevin Connors and Sage Steele, with interview from Rachel Nichols.