LeBron James stressed the importance of his family in his press conference after the loss to the Denver Nuggets. The 39-year-old wished to only spend time with them and value the role of being a family man in his life. Over his decorated two-decade career, his loving people sacrificed a lot. Proof of that is the work his mother, Gloria James, puts in to aid his off-court ventures.

In 2013, James used his resources to benefit the community of Akron – the very place where he grew up. Understanding the needs of the community, he launched the ‘I Promise School’. An initiative powered by the LeBron James family foundation, they have helped thousands of children in the town.

However, with James still active within the NBA, someone needs to hold down the fort elsewhere. At home, it’s his wife Savannah James who looks after the children while also focusing on her businesses. As far as the ‘I Promise School’ goes, Gloria James is the one to thank.

LeBron James extends gratitude to his mother

The Los Angeles Lakers forward recently took to X to share a video of his mother speaking about the ‘I Promise School’. In the interview, Gloria James gave an insight into her role as part of the foundation. The 56-year-old goes to the school every day from Monday to Friday and sits with the grade teachers to discuss the direction of the students.

James, seeing his mother take on such a role, was brimming with pride. “Mama James always holds it down!!” he wrote on X accompanied by a barrage of emoticons.

Gloria James has been a constant and relentless support for her legendary son. LeBron James grew up in the same poor neighborhood of Akron, living alone with his mother. Despite the rough circumstances, Gloria James waded through and ensured her son achieved everything he wanted to. Now that he has, James felt the need to give back to the same community that raised him.

Apart from the ‘I Promise School’, the LeBron James family has invested over $20 million to develop the neighborhood. He has also opened up three residential buildings and a sports and entertainment complex amongst the other initiatives. As far as the I Promise School goes, its partnership with Akron Public School supports over 1300 students and counting. They provide full scholarships to reputed universities while also taking care of meals and other necessities.

Their motto is to have a ‘village’. That’s not just the inspiration for the LeBron James Foundation, but a lesson they have adapted. LeBron James has created his very own villages that enable such success of his various philanthropic ventures.