LeBron James turns 36!

Last Wednesday marked the 36th birthday of one LeBron Raymone James Sr. He was born on December 30 1984, in Akron, Ohio. Since then he has grown to be not only many people’s hero, but my #1 hero.  Even though his career will likely sunset over the next ten years, the player he is, the philanthropist he is for his community, the role model he is for the game and the ambassador he will be when he retires makes him a dominant and intriguing figure whom I hope to continue to admire for decades. His leadership and initiative to impel others to be their best and to include them in games before himself is something I love about him the most. I also believe LeBron is a role model because he has never gotten into any legal trouble at all, and always emphasizes working hard and always looking to improve his craft, and gives children an iconic figure to look up to for inspiration. 

My favorite personal memory of LeBron was in 2009 and the Chicago Bulls had just finished playing the Cleveland Cavaliers in a regular season game. The Cleveland players just left their locker room after showers and getting dressed, and then eagerly celebrated the win over the Bulls. They were walking to talk to fans and family who attended the game in the lower hollow tunnels of the United Center stadium. My brother and I along with some family friends were granted backstage passes to go and meet some of the players from both the Bulls and the Cavs. As we traveled down to the tunnel, we bumped into several players from both the Cavaliers and the Bulls and stopped to take pictures with most of the ones we knew. Meanwhile, I focused only on meeting one player, my idol, and my hero, Cavaliers forward and super-star, LeBron James. As we continued our walk throughout the tunnel, I finally saw LeBron near the team bus. He was wearing a red shirt, a black leather jacket, and had sunglasses on, as he chatted away with assistant coaches about the game. I shouted in excitement that he was over there, rushed over to the first bus, and asked him for a picture. He happily obliged and me along with my friends and younger brother huddled around LeBron and smiled brightly at the camera as my dad snapped the picture. Standing next to him with his arm on my back was a surreal moment. He was such a polarizing figure to me, and even though I felt small on the outside as I stood there, I felt like a giant on the inside, as if I was LeBron’s height, if not taller.

As we continue into the new year, LeBron is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers. I rock my purple and gold LeBron jersey to pay homage to an athlete who is not only an athlete, but a social activist, a father, a businessman, and even an actor. He speaks out against social injustice, created a school for underprivileged youth, and has multiple charities that serve his hometown community and children around the world. His company, Uninterrupted, is one of his most understated achievements. Whether it is in NBA 2K on the Xbox (ask anyone I always choose LeBron and I win all the time of course), or buying his “More Than An Athlete” gear, that man will always have a special place in my heart.