'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
LA Lakers star and future Hall of Famer LeBron James made a surprise appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Wednesday. During the show, McAfee talked about the pressure a player like James must have been under while going from an underprivileged childhood in Akron to a global superstar.
The way LeBron James sees things, the fact that he's been able to stay on the straight and narrow and set a good example for the next generation largely comes down to the way his mom raised him. The four-time NBA champ sang his mom's praises on the show while speaking about the example she set for him, and how it made all the difference, saying:
"I give her a lot of credit for the way she raised me, the way she taught me, the things that she was able to instill in me.
Trending
"It was also me also just looking at her, the way she moved and how determined she was to be able to make my life better, even with the circumstances that we were growing up in. So I give her a lot of credit."
Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.
James also said that he had a keen awareness of the fact that he was destined for greatness. Because of that, he did everything in his power to make sure that he didn't waste his opportunity.
"I can't f**k this opportunity up," - LeBron James talks about how Akron native and childhood inspiration Jerome Lane's career served as motivation for him
Growing up in Akron, Ohio, LeBron James knew that there weren't many others who came from where he did that were able to succeed and thrive.
One example, however, was Jerome Lane, a basketball player who, like James, went to St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. After being named as a McDonald's All American, Lane went on to play for Pittsburgh in college, where he recorded an all-time basketball highlight where he shattered a backboard.
After college, Lane was selected 23rd overall in the 1988 NBA Draft. However, his time in the league was short-lived as he played just three full seasons in the NBA before his career came to an unceremonious end in the early 90s.
After Lane's retirement, LeBron James recalled how he was back in Akron cheering against him and St. Vincent-St. Mary.
At the time, he knew that he wanted to be a beacon of hope for other kids who grew up the way he did. During Wednesday's episode of "The Pat McAfee Show," James said:
"And if it does happen, it never works out, you know? ... I was like, I can't f**k this opportunity up man ... the only inspiration we had was Jerome Lane ... and Jerome Lane was hating on us."
"Being a young man ... Throughout my small adolescent years, and then just like, to be completely honest, I didn't want to f**k my opportunity up. I knew that the statistics for an inner city black kid to be able to be in a position that I was in, especially from my hometown, s**t, it never, ever happens."
Between his on-court success, his philanthropic efforts across the nation, and, of course, his I Promise school in Ohio, it seems like LeBron James' impact off the court will stand the test of time.
