LeBron James shares adorable throwback photo of himself at age 3 with hilarious caption on IG

LeBron James, despite his towering success in basketball, comes from modest beginnings. On Christmas Eve, he shared a throwback photo of his three-year-old self enjoying a basketball on Christmas Day.

The picture, taken in 1987, features a young LeBron holding a basketball in front of an indoor hoop. ESPN captioned the image:

“LeBron’s mom got him a basketball hoop for his third Christmas. The rest is history. One of the greatest investments of all-time."

LeBron reposted it on his Instagram Stories, humorously adding context about the photo’s background.

“Iykyk (if you know, you know)📺on top of the 📺,” he wrote.

LeBron James shares adorable throwback photo of himself at age 3 with hilarious caption on IG

Raised by his mother, Gloria James, who gave birth to him at 16, LeBron faced numerous challenges in his childhood. His father, Anthony McClelland, was incarcerated and absent from his life.

Initially excelling in football, young LeBron switched to basketball, and by eighth grade, he was already being hailed as a future star after leading his AAU team to a national championship.

LeBron James reflects on growing up in Akron

LeBron grew up in Akron, Ohio, and in 2011, he launched the LeBron James Family Foundation to provide opportunities for Akron’s youth. The foundation focuses on education and co-curricular initiatives to improve the lives of children and young adults.

In 2018, while discussing his foundation, LeBron reflected on the hardships of his upbringing.

“I definitely could've been a statistic," James said in an interview with Rachel Nichols. "I mean, I grew up in a single parent household. My mother was 16 when she had me. I grew up in the inner-city where there's a lot of violence."

He emphasized his connection to underprivileged kids, saying he shares their experiences.

“I’m similar to these kids in every way, every way, shape, or fashion. I walk the same roads as these kids. I breathe the same air as these kids. You know, I understand what they’re going through, growing up in an inner city, and having people just – basically forget them,” he said.

“Like, there’s no way they’re gonna make it. I had days where I just felt like it was just me and mom, you know, and no one cared, and there’s no way that we’re gonna be able to make it outta this.”

LeBron James, who turns 40 later this month, boasts a net worth of $1.2 billion, according to Forbes. He is in the middle of his 22nd season in the NBA.