'The King' continues to defy what an athlete can do as he was recently named to the Time's 2019 list of top 100 Most Influential People. For anyone who does not know already, LeBron James aside from being a superb athlete is also a generous philanthropist and that is why he made the list.
It is not the first time he was placed in Time, and this will be his fourth time.
Work in the community by LeBron James
According to an article from ABC News 5 Cleveland, this recent achievement is being marked because of LeBron's work in the community rather than what he has done on the court.
Everything did not go as planned in LeBron James' first season in LA as the Lakers missed the playoffs and the star got injured with a little more than midway through the season. Reports indicate that The King will be looking to recruit a superstar or two in the upcoming NBA offseason.
LeBron will be missing the playoffs this season for the first time since 2005 and it is obvious that a lot has to be done with the Los Angeles Lakers when it comes to finding a new head coach, new acquisitions, and more.
One of the key reasons for the placement is because of the creation of the I Promise School for the kids in Akron, Ohio, which has helped out many children. Warren Buffet stated in Time, "LeBron has justified the adulation of millions and millions of young people, thanks to his ability to live up to the enormous expectations on the basketball court, his business successes in Hollywood and media, and his new I Promise School for disadvantaged kids in his hometown of Akron, Ohio."
LeBron James has truly made a difference in the community with his own school in Akron and in recent news, the school is doing really well as they have improved students scores in various fields like math and reading.
The article lists that this founding was published in a post from the New York Times as 3th and 4th graders were surpassing expectations and producing extraordinary results.
Barack Obama made sure to shout out LeBron and his school for their results as well.
Another good story worth sharing: From one "kid from Akron" to a new generation of Akron kids, some remarkable early achievements at @IPROMISESchool. Great work, @KingJames—and even better work by those students. Proud to be a witness to their success: https://t.co/ctWfKnA5GL
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 12, 2019
PROUD ‼️‼️‼️ is an understatement. Kids you are smart, amazing, talented, and nothing short of INSPIRATIONAL! Teachers & all the staff ❤️❤️ ya’ll are the right ones, the real ones on this journey changing lives & numbers don’t lie 🤷🏾♂️ Let’s keep GROWING 💪🏾 @ipromiseschool 🚀 pic.twitter.com/fQcmcNRBKQ
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 12, 2019
LeBron made sure to post the accomplishment on Twitter with a video of the happy kids and teachers proud of the students for their improvement.
The I Promise School not only grants the students a high school education but also a college education at the University of Akron.
The other honorees
LeBron James joins some notable company as other prominent honorees include George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George Clooney, and others. According to another article from Cleveland.com, other people who made the list are actor Dwayne Johnson and pop singer Taylor Swift.
The producer
LeBron James is also making a name for himself in Hollywood as a producer and contributor to films as he plans to recruit other NBA players for "Space Jam 2." He also has his own show on HBO called "The Shop" where he brings other athletes to talk about some of the biggest topics today and speak about their own experiences when it comes to injustices in today's society.