Turns out that “kid from Akron” is pretty influential after all.
LeBron James has been named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People for 2017.
The announcement comes as James and his Cavaliers are in the midst of the first round of the NBA playoffs in a bid to retain the team’s world championship crown.
It also falls a week after he announced plans through his namesake charity, the LeBron James Family Foundation, to expand his mentorship efforts to create a new school in the city to help at-risk students.
The foundation already works with Akron school children to keep them in the classroom and on a path to a tuition-free college education — also arranged by James — at the University of Akron.
The magazine turned to another Akron icon to recognize James for his contributions.
Fellow Akron native and former U.S. poet laureate Rita Dove penned a short introduction in which she calls James “poetry in motion” and says “Who could have imagined that a basketball boy wonder, a prodigy from the projects, would bridge class and racial divides to evolve into King James of the International Courts?”
Dove goes on to praise James for “investing in the promise of future generations through his foundation” and being an inspiration in Ohio and beyond.
Asked about the honor at shoot-around Thursday morning, James hadn’t yet heard the news: “What happened?”
After being told, he said: “That’s pretty cool, I think, I don’t know. If my kids like it, then that’s all that matters. If they don’t care about it, then I don’t care about it. It’s all about them.”
Michele Campbell, executive director of the LeBron James Family Foundation, is not surprised by the recognition.
“For the kids in our program to be able to look to LeBron and see what he’s been able to accomplish both in his sport and in the community, that shows them that a kid from Akron can do anything because they’ve seen it happen,” Campbell said.
James is in pretty good company in the list’s “Titans” category, alongside names like Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com, Fed chair Janet Yellen and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
Aside from making headlines on the court, James has spoken out publicly on touchy political issues including a rash of police-involved shootings and gun violence, and he even endorsed Hillary Clinton for president.
James is the only NBA athlete to make the list.
Sports writer Marla Ridenour contributed to this article. Craig Webb can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3547.