Like any great athlete, LeBron James divides opinion. He is adored by his own Cleveland Cavaliers fans and loathed by many of his rivals, however as undeniable as his talent is his generosity.
LeBron told ESPN, he will be shelling out an incredible $41.8m to provide scholarships to give 1,100 children from the disadvantaged area the NBA star grew up in the chance to go to college.
LeBron has partnered with the University of Akron, where he is from in Ohio, to give local children the opportunity to continue their education which will cost roughly $9,500 per student at the school's current rates.
Cleveland Cavaliers' lost the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors earlier this summer and James has turned his attention to his LeBron James Family Trust charity. The students who qualify for the "I Promise" program will be guaranteed a four-year-scholarship.
The four-time MVP said,
These students have big dreams, and I'm happy to do everything I can to help them get there. They're going to have to earn it, but I'm excited to see what these kids can accomplish knowing that college is in their futures.
The 30-year-old continued,
It means so much because, as a kid growing up in the inner city and a lot of African-American kids, you don't really think past high school,
You hear high school all the time, and you graduate high school and then you never think past that because either it's not possible or your family's not financially stable to even be able to support a kid going to college.
Top notch from James who clearly has never forgotten where he came from. He's one of the highest-earning athletes in the world and it's great to see him putting his riches to good use by giving back to his local community.
[ESPN]
