King James shows its heart: Selling sneakers online to support schools

LeBron James has heart by selling his game-used sneakers online to raise money for schools.

Upper Deck and NBA star LeBron James are working together to sell his used shoes online. James opened the I Promise School as a public grade school in Akron, Ohio, and this is part of a campaign to raise money for it.

Upper Deck’s online store has 97 shoes for sale right now, and each one costs between $15,000 and $30,000. There are now 114 pairs of shoes left that were available when the project started two years ago. You can now buy the rest of them online. With every purchase, you’ll get a proof of authenticity and a personalized donor plaque.

The shoe that goes with each pair will be attached to a “wall of shoes” in the school entrance.

The James’ foundation says that all the money from the sale will go to the school’s different programs, such as “constant access to the family resource center, community food pantry, unemployment services, legal aid, medical and mental health support, and a GED program for parents throughout the year.”

“There’s more to it than just getting kids to school.” The head of the LeBron James Family Foundation, Michele Campbell, said in a news release, “This is about protecting their lives.”

“Every day, we see families dealing with very real and often unexpected problems that turn their whole lives upside down.” Their job is to make sure we listen carefully, understand their needs, and give them useful tools that will help their families succeed. “This is a lifelong commitment, and we are well aware that we cannot do it alone.”

The project got help from two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson in 2018 when he came up with a good idea to give $30,000 worth of Nike Zoom Lebron Soldier 11 shoes that LeBron James wore in the 2017 Finals.

Watson said that the shoe has a special place in his heart because he saw the game in which James tied Magic Johnson for the most triple doubles in Finals history.

In a news release, Watson said, “We can see the good things that LeBron is doing for his hometown, and I’m proud to support such an important project that will continue to change so many lives in the area.”

The three-time NBA winner has long pushed for changes to be made to the schools in his hometown. James grew up in Akron, Ohio, by a single mother. He says that his community helped him be successful and has promised to give back. From its start in 2018 to now, the I Promise School has given more than 1,500 Akron-area students the “mentors, programs, and support they require to achieve academic and personal success.”