When basketball legend LeBron James was a child in Akron, Ohio, the bike helped him overcome barriers and gave him joys, freedoms and accessibility he otherwise wouldn't have had.
"Riding a bike has always been a big part of my life. When I was growing up, it was how I got around – from riding with friends across the city to getting to practice and wherever I needed to be. It gave me the freedom to not only get to places, but to access things that otherwise would have been out of reach," the basketball star says.
"Even now, riding a bike makes me feel like a kid again. There’s nothing like feeling the air on your face and that freedom to just ride."
In a new joint initiative with Canyon Bicycles, the Los Angeles Lakers player hopes to share the power of the bicycle with potential cyclists worldwide.
LeBron has been involved with the German bicycle brand since 2022 and is a minor shareholder. Together, they aim to "inspire millions of potential cyclists across the globe to understand just how life changing a bike can be."
Under the name of 'Find Your Freedom' LeBron James and Canyon are launching an advocacy campaign meant to inspire people everywhere to get pedalling.
The campaign has harnessed the stories of current and up-and-coming sports stars, including road cycling world champion Mathieu van der Poel, freeriders Fabio Wibmer and Samantha Soriano, off-road cyclist Andrew Jackson, Diane Ingabire of the Canyon-SRAM development team and young mountain biker Olivia Silva.
"Cycling has been in my family for generations and that will never change. Passing on what cycling can do for people is one of my biggest motivations as a pro-athlete and as a cycling ambassador," comments Van der Poel about his involvement in the campaign.
The central component of the campaign is a video involving the aforementioned athletes.
"We believe in the transformational power of bikes. This collaboration with LeBron celebrates the freedom bikes offer, and the power to inspire a new generation of riders," says Canyon CEO Nicolas de Ros Wallace. "And who better to deliver that message than one of the most successful sports stars of all time, along with some of the most talented professional cyclists in the world?"
The partnership also sees Canyon providing bikes to the LeBron James Family Foundation’s 'I PROMISE' Program. Since the start of the I PROMISE Program in 2011, the foundation has provided each student in the program with a brand-new bike as part of their promise to work hard, finish school, and live an active and healthy lifestyle.
"I know how much a bike meant to me when I was a kid and how it opened doors and got me places, I couldn’t otherwise go, so it’s always been a staple of our program to provide bikes," says LeBron.
"It’s not only a reward for their hard work, but it also allows them to get outside, experience their community, and make memories with their friends and family in a different way."
