Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James said his determination to excel in basketball was forged by watching his teenage mother work to keep their household afloat in Akron, Ohio.
Speaking on the latest episode of the “Mind The Game” podcast hosted by Steve Nash and featuring actor Timothée Chalamet, the four-time NBA champion reflected on being raised by Gloria James, who became a mother at 16. “My only mindset was not to add more pressure on a Black woman living in the ghetto,” he explained, adding that escaping poverty for both of them became his primary goal.
James shared a high-school anecdote that helped crystallize that ambition. While visiting St. Vincent–St. Mary coach Keith Dambrot, he learned what a pantry was for the first time. “I asked for a snack, and he told me, ‘Go to the pantry.’ I had no idea what that meant because at home everything sat on top of the refrigerator,” he recalled. “Right then I told myself: I’ve got to get my mom a pantry.”
The 39-year-old forward remains focused on on-court success in his 23rd NBA season. He recently noted that the Lakers have climbed from a bottom-seven defense to a top-15 unit over the past six weeks, a development he credited to collective buy-in.
Despite more than two decades of global fame, James has largely stayed out of off-court controversy, concentrating on basketball and family life while continuing to chase championships in Los Angeles.
Source: LakersNation.com
