A bunch of parents whose kids attend LeBron James‘ I Promise School won’t have to worry about buying sneakers for the time being.
That’s because the NBA star gifted the students with 800 pairs of his LeBron 16 sneakers in 10 different colors. The styles handed out were “Harlem Stage,” “Four Horsemen,” “Medicine Ball,” “MPLS” and “Remix.” And to the students’ surprise, the sneakers were waiting for them at school when they arrived on Monday.
They aren’t inexpensive either, considering the online Nike store offers them for nearly $140.00.
On the LeBron James Family Foundation website, it says the purpose of the sneakers is to motivate the students and get “them to keep pushing.”
James also posted a message about the gift on Monday and wrote, “Gotta make sure my kids walk and learn in style!”
The future Hall of Famer opened the I Promise School in July 2018 in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, for students who’ve fallen behind academically.
And it didn’t take long for them to start showing improvement, because earlier this year 90 percent of the students, who were at least one grade level behind, met or exceeded their reading and math goals on the Measures of Academic Progress Test.
It was a feat that caught the attention of former President Barack Obama, who in April wrote “Great work @KingJames and even better work by those students. Proud to be a witness to their success.”
And in May, James announced a $1 million donation so the I Promise School could get a new gymnasium.
He partnered with Dick’s Sporting Goods to pay for the gym, which James said will be a place for sports and a safe space where children can go to after school.
