LeBron James’ “I Promise” school opening puts welcome pressure on his superstar peers to acknowledge and help revive the broken American family.
Charles Barkley notoriously once proclaimed “I am not a role model.” Although that may seem like a tough sell, the narrative surrounding the basketball world from his era and beyond has passively (and sometimes, even actively) concurred with the sad truth.
NBA stars have to be better role models.
NBA players may inadvertently inspire young people to strive for greatness, to stay out of trouble, to build critical communication skills and to embody virtuous traits needed to succeed in a team game, but the inconvenient truth here is there is little-to-no pressure for players to do the right thing or speak directly to youths who desperately need guidance from their de-facto male role models…
Until now.
Yes, LeBron James has bridged that gap between “want to” and “have to,” and before long, players will have to cross that bridge, becoming legitimate role models for America’s urban youth and beyond, rather than fly over it on private jets.
To be clear, there are indeed many NBA players who are incredibly philanthropic. Guys like Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul are very generous and even regularly contribute to children and youth development, but the important difference is LeBron James has upped the stakes and focused attention (and frankly, dollars) on what is the most pressing issue in our nation: education and the equality gap.
The “I Promise” school opened by King James not only solidified his legacy as perhaps the most virtuous and well-rounded sports superstar of all time, but it put welcome pressure on his peers to acknowledge and help revive the broken American family.
While LeBron will face challenges for his active role, including sophomoric taunts from our nation’s President via Twitter, he will also implore others to follow in his footsteps. Michael Jordan soon after donated $7 million to help at-risk kids in the Charlotte area. The message LeBron sent has reverberated already:
This is what I’m doing to make a direct impact. What are you doing?
The Akron-based K-8 community school not only provides transportation and college tuition for all of its students, but it provides critical education and employment opportunities for the parents of students, who often struggle systematically to provide for their children.
Guys like Kevin Durant, who regularly engage in petty social media arguments that are far beneath his dignity, or guys like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George holding their teams at ransom for child-like demands to be traded, or even Draymond Green repeatedly trying to kick opponents in the crotch, are annoying to see and read about. But in the end, they aren’t the real problem.
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As players earn hundreds of millions of dollars, it’s the passive attitude towards their onus to education that is the problem. LeBron’s focus on education, and his active role in improving it, is undeniable.
Millennial NBA superstars suffer from the same problem as the casual millennial: They take problems to social media instead of doing something about it.
The link between the sport of basketball and urban at-risk children is the elephant in the room, and the first one to address it should no doubt be the NBA players who have a direct interest in these kids who buy their gear, jerseys and sneakers. The kind of kids many of these players once were themselves.
While LeBron James’ start with the Los Angeles Lakers might be an uphill battle, just like his performance on the court, the career-defining moment for his legacy off the court is also likely already set in stone.
While a recent petition that included 23,000 signatures for LeBron as the U.S. Secretary of Education is a bit extreme (although a likely improvement from that of Betsy DeVos), he has already done his part in changing the way NBA players directly impact the lives of at-risk kids who idolize them.
In the end, LeBron’s greatest legacy will have been to motivate his peers to be better role models.
Bravo, King James.