As LeBron James returns to Cleveland for this weekend’s NBA All-Star game, he wants to make sure everyone gets one thing straight.
He is from Akron, Ohio, not Cleveland.
The Los Angeles Times’ Dan Woike spoke with James about what Akron means to him and why that is such an important distinction.
“People always say, ‘You’re going back home.’ But I tell people all the time, ‘I’m not from Cleveland.’ There’s no disrespect to Cleveland. But, when you’re from Akron, you’re not from Cleveland,” James told Woike. “This is where I’m from.”
James also explained why it’s important for people to recognize that he is from Akron because of how much the community helped him become the player he is today.
“When you grow up in Akron, Ohio, you already feel like no one cares about you too much,” he said. “And the only people that really care about you are the ones from that town. When you are in certain community centers, in certain gyms, you look for inspiration—people who came before you, people who were already there.”
James continues to give back to the community in Akron in many ways, especially at his alma mater, St. Vincent–St. Mary High School. He funded a $1 million renovation for the school’s gym, which was ultimately named “LeBron James Arena.”
As St. Vincent–St. Mary basketball continues to add legitimate talent, which included current Ohio State guard Malaki Branham, James has expressed his pride in what the school has done.
“It means you set the path along the way while you’re doing it for the next generation. It was our whole thing while we were there,” he said. “It started with Maverick [Carter] and Derrick and Darren Tarver, guys who were there already. And we came in and wanted to pave the way for the next generation. We wanted St. Vincent–St. Mary to be a school that didn’t just have one-offs. They’re still doing it.”
