The stories of LeBron James lifting up his community in Ohio are not few and far between. His work off the court far surpasses anything LeBron has done during what will one day be a Hall of Fame basketball career.
Here, we’re reminded of James’ altruism and sense of compassion for others.
Robert Sulliven over at Vogue Magazine recently penned an in-depth article about how LeBron and his wife, Savannah, has helped the local Akron community. In it, Sullivan retells a story told to him by Dwayne Wade’s wife, Gabrielle Union.
And it’s pretty remarkable.
“As I prepare to say goodbye, I am reminded of a story Gabrielle Union told me about LeBron. Union and her husband, Dwyane Wade, with other friends and athletes, were out snorkeling in the Bahamas a few years back. Some, including Wade, were ocean-shy, city-born and not as strong at swimming as LeBron,” Sullivan recounts. “Eventually, the group got out in the water, though at the end of the swim, when everyone was back in the boat, LeBron took a count and noticed a man missing, immediately diving back in.”
That’s an amazing act of heroism from King James right there. And for Union, it tells her a story of a man that’s there for his fellow human race.
“He literally brings our friend back, like something out of an episode of Baywatch,'” Union said. “Because he’s that guy, and when you see that, you know he is not going to leave these at-risk kids behind or an NBA player snorkeling. He’s that guy who dives in.”
No matter what we think of LeBron James on the court, we have to respect what he does off the court. This is a prime example of that. And the fact that it’s gone unnoticed until now, tells us all we need to know about his altruistic mentality.