By Emily Conklin
LeBron James, the most dominant player in his sport, is a living NBA legend with unsurpassable work ethic, passion, and loyalty. The Los Angeles Lakers star and former Miami Heat legend has officially become the first NBA athlete to hit billionaire status while still playing in the league.
Despite being a superstar, the Akron, Ohio native never lost touch with his roots. Always on the move, his single mother—16 when he was born—often had him stay with basketball coaches and teammates when rent and groceries couldn’t be paid.
LeBron’s innate athleticism was recognizable early on, and his passion for sports kept him out of trouble. Starting in ninth grade, scouts from the Cleveland-based IMG athlete agency were watching. His high school basketball games were available on pay-per-view throughout the state, and attracted such large crowds that the local fire department said they were a fire hazard. (The school relocated the matchups to nearby University of Akron’s 6,000 seat stadium.)…