Although LeBron James would likely be playing in the playoffs right about now under normal circumstances, LeBron and one of the brands closest to him came away with some awards and award nominations over the weekend.
LeBron James won two awards from the Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards, including Male Athlete of the Year and “Generation Change” recipient for his work with the I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, which began schooling in the summer of 2018. James accepted the award last night and shared that he would be sending the Kids Choice Awards to the I Promise School for them to be there whenever students are able to return.
LeBron’s athlete-focused sports media company UNINTERRUPTED also received two Webby nominations for their work. The nominations were for “Best Overall Social Presence” in the category of Sports, while they also earned a nomination for “Best Social Campaign: Diversity & Inclusion” for their campaign called “Love Is Uninterrupted,” featuring Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe.
Lakers’ LeBron James’ inspiring message after winning Nickelodeon award
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was honored by Nickelodean as the recipient of the Generation Change Award, also winning the award for “Favorite Male Athlete.”
James took to Twitter to thank the fans and voters, dedicating the awards to “all my kids and kids all over the world needing any inspiration at this moment and in the future.”
James has affected change through his philanthropic efforts. Most notably in the creation of the I PROMISE School in Akron, Ohio, which serves at-risk students. The inaugural class at the I PROMISE school recently received free tuition from Kent State University back in February.
James and his business partner, Maverick Carter, are the executive producers for an upcoming documentary about the school. Via Jesse Washington of The Undefeated.
When James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers from Miami in 2014, he launched I Promise with the Akron Public Schools district as a part-time enrichment program for third graders who could not read at grade level. James’ next step was pledging that every I Promise kid who graduated from high school could attend the University of Akron for free. In 2018, he gathered all his kids into one school.
That’s where the film begins, chronicling the school’s first year. Directed by Marc Levin and produced by James and his business partner Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Entertainment, it’s broken into eight-minute episodes as part of Quibi’s short-form, mobile-centric format. Five of the 15 episodes were made available to The Undefeated ahead of the release.
LeBron has not been able to go to work for his day job as an NBA player with the current season still suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Nevertheless, James is continuing to serve as an inspiration for his work with children and in communities of need.
