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LeBron James Sends Strong Message After Announcement on Friday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nathan Dougherty | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 4:55 PM ET

LeBron James famously skipped out on college, jumping directly from the national spotlight at his private high school in Akron, Ohio, to the NBA.

But the Los Angeles Lakers star has played a big part in opening up college opportunities for other students from his hometown, celebrating an announcement on Friday from the school that he helped to establish.

The LeBron James Family Foundation supported the 2018 opening of I Promise School, a public high school in Akron aimed at serving at-risk children. The foundation also helped establish a scholarship that allows all graduates to get free tuition to the University of Akron.

The school made an announcement on Friday celebrating its media days, showing off students on the track.

"Media days with our @ipromiseschool athletes is always a time we look forward to because it’s a chance to give them the collegiate and pro-level experience just like @kingjames!" noted the post shared jointly by the school and the NBA star's foundation. "We love their excitement, confidence, and passion for what they do on and off the track. The future is bright, and we can’t wait to see them continue to takeoff."

James also sent his support to the students and the school by sharing the post on his own Instagram page.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by I PROMISE School (@ipromiseschool)

James has gotten plenty of accolades for the school, with the director of the LeBron James Foundation saying when the school opened that he is making a big difference in his hometown.

“He’s changing lives,” Michele Campbell told WKCY when the school opened. “He’s changing kids. He’s changing families. It doesn’t matter where he works, this work still continues. He made a promise. And he will always make good on that.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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