Sports have been my highway to happiness for as long as I can remember. I’ve learned a lot about life through my involvement with them, and for that, I consider myself very lucky. I know that there is an infinite amount of lessons to be learned from being part of a team, whether you’re a player, a coach or a fan. However, aside from my loved ones, not one person in sports or any other walk of life has inspired me in as many ways as LeBron James.
LeBron is 6’8” tall and 250 lbs. Most athletes with such an immaculate build make a career out of going up and catching touchdown passes or getting around the edge to sack the quarterback. Despite the fact that LeBron was a phenomenal high school football player, he’s made a career out of dominating through helping his teammates score.
That has always been my favorite part of his game. Despite his size and athletic prowess, he is arguably one of the most selfless players in basketball. His unique size and athleticism gives him the ability to score at will, and he does that from time to time. But he uses his gifts to help his teammates succeed, and there’s a lot to love about that. I’ve been to plenty of professional sporting events, and I’ve seen LeBron play live three times in Cleveland. The plays I saw him make around the rim were nothing short of spectacular. But, there is a beauty and a charisma about the way he passes the ball and makes plays for his teammates. There really is nothing else like it in professional sports.
His impact on the floor is obvious. LeBron’s mantra, however, is that he is “more than an athlete.” To me, that couldn’t describe him more perfectly. He is a true, lockdown, family-first guy. He married his high school sweetheart, goes to all of his son’s AAU games and even coached his oldest son’s, LeBron Jr, team this past summer.
He made a heroic contribution to his home city of Akron when he opened the “I Promise” school, a public elementary school aimed to assist at-risk children and offer a myriad of support for parents that tended to their emotional wellbeing, career and education. LeBron called the school’s opening day one of the greatest moments of his life.
Considering where he came from as a kid from Akron with a single mother, where a good opportunity was not easy to come by, to perhaps the greatest athlete of our generation if not the history of sports. He has used his platform and made time to do a ton of good in the world. For that, he is my favorite athlete and one of my greatest inspirations.
Jared Leve is the News Editor for
The Bona Venture.
His email is levejl16@bonaventure.edu
