LeBron Raymone James, son of Gloria Marie James and Anthony McClelland was born on December 30, 1984 in Akron, Ohio.
At the time of James’ birth, his unwed mother, Gloria, was only 16 years old. She had a hard time raising the child on her own and kept shifting apartments across the neighborhoods of Akron in search of steady work, bouncing between retail and accounting jobs. She also battled personal problems during much of LeBron’s childhood, resulting in a much struggled life for both of them.
Despite her failings, Gloria worked hard to be a loving mother and shield her child from the street violence and poverty. By the time he was two, she started feeling the need for a man, a father figure, in her son’s life. Although Gloria’s brothers, Terry and Curt, were helpful with LeBron’s upbringing, her
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He idolized Michael Jordan and patterned his games around him. His natural speed and strength allowed him to work his way around the gridiron. Although he was quick in taking the ball to the hole, his best attribute was that he was a team player and took special delight in passing the basketball to his teammates.
In a short passage of time, he had developed into a superb athlete. James was recruited by St. Vincent-St. Mary High School to join their basketball team in 1999.
In the first year of Pee Wee Football, a football league for children, James scored 19 touchdowns in six games, where he played as receiver. He was selected for the football league under a selective Division 1 program that also granted scholarships. His football skills were developed with the help of his coach Frankie Walker, a man with a profound impact on LeBron James’ life.
Soon Gloria realized the need for a better family for her son’s future and decided to let him move in with someone who could provide him a better environment and resources. That someone was none other than Frankie