geringly widespread. He is personally generous
in donating time and money to various causes
that benefit children, most notably the creation of
the I Promise School, a public elementary school
in Akron, Ohio, that focuses on children from
low-income families by providing a STEM-based
curriculum. His dedication to improving the lives
of children is building a cultural infrastructure
that will strengthen America’s future. He’s been
so effective that even staunch conservative bil-
lionaire Charles Koch recently said he wants to
work with the LeBron James Family Foundation.
LeBron has also led the charge against
the undeniable pattern of social injustice.
Unfortunately, he’s had way too many opportu-
nities lately to express his outrage, disappoint-
ment and grief over Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner,
Michael Brown, George Floyd, Jacob Blake,
Breonna Taylor and so on. His example of fear-
lessness in the face of backlash from some fans
and powerful people like President Donald TrumpLending weight to the vocal GOAT herders is the
fact that LeBron is closing in on my NBA record
for most points scored: 38,387. LeBron is about
4,000 points behind, but I was an elderly 42 when
I retired and he’s a sprightly 35. He averages about
2,000 points a season, so in two years he could
break my record. How does that make me feel?
Excited. I expect to be there if and when he does
it, cheering him on—as I know he will be on that
day in the future when someone surpasses his
mark. Breaking a sports record is a celebration
of the human drive to push past known limita-
tions, to redefine what we are capable of. It is an
acknowledgement that humans have the capacity
to always be improving, physically and mentally.B
UT THE Muhammad Ali Legacy Award
is about more than athletic excellence. It’s
about translating that excellence and per-
sonal success into a sustainable positive impact
on the world. LeBron’s inf luence has been stag-57DAVID E. KLUTHOFRANCHISE
PLAYER
A leader of the
More Than a
Vote campaign,
James worked
to register
young Black
Americans.