Why LeBron James will be inducted into the Akron Public Schools Athletics Hall of Fame

LeBron James' long history of giving back to his hometown of Akron is being formally recognized with a Hall of Fame induction.

The NBA icon and Los Angeles Lakers superstar will enter the Akron Public Schools Athletics Hall of Fame in the fall as a “special contributor,” APS athletic director Joe Vassalotti told the Beacon Journal on Thursday.

APS will honor James and 10 other Athletics Hall of Fame inductees during a banquet, but details for the event have yet to be finalized, Vassalotti said. The school district started its Athletics Hall of Fame last year and held its inaugural induction banquet on Oct. 1.

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James, 38, will become the only inductee who didn't play or coach for a City Series high school. He put St. Vincent-St. Mary, a parochial high school in Akron, on the national map with one of the most-decorated prep basketball careers in American history. Before high school, he was an APS student, including at Riedinger Middle School, which has since closed.

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His “special contributor” status stems from The LeBron James Family Foundation and APS partnering to operate the I Promise School, which launched its club sports programs last year, as well as the foundation donating uniforms and football helmets to APS teams over the years, Vassalotti said.

“He's supported not only our student-athletes, but our district as a whole,” Vassalotti said by phone. “Obviously, the I Promise School speaks for itself with all the positivity generated not only by the school, but their holistic approach to helping the families involved.”

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The APS Athletics Hall of Fame's bylaws state selection committee members can name one “special contributor” per class, Vassalotti said. James is the first person to be placed in the category.

“We chose not to have one in 2022 with our first class,” Vassalotti said, “but we thought no one better than LeBron James as a special contributor for this 2023 class.

“Our bylaws state ... specifically about a special contributor being someone who not necessarily graduated from an APS high school, but someone who has positively influenced APS athletics through the years, which he certainly has through his foundation.”

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Willie McGee is a close friend and former STVM teammate of James who works for LeBron's foundation and is the athletic director at I Promise School. After James became the NBA's all-time leading scorer in February, McGee told the Beacon Journal what James has accomplished off the basketball court is what truly makes him an amazing individual.

“The outstanding dad that he is, the amazing husband, the philanthropist — what the foundation is doing and changing lives for families in the Akron area — those things I don't think get enough recognition,” McGee said.

In other words, McGee will be among those thrilled to see the APS Athletics Hall of Fame give LeBron his roses.

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: LeBron James in Akron Public Schools Athletics Hall of Fame