- LeBron James and his mother Gloria had a rough time when the former was a child
- Gloria James’ safety was LeBron’s utmost concern
- The four-time NBA champion is the perfect success story, and not just in the NBA
LeBron James’ younger days weren’t easy. In fact, Jeff Benedict, the author of the Los Angeles Lakers superstar’s biography ‘LeBron’ called it a dark childhood.
James’ struggles early on in his career were well-documented. In an excerpt from Chapter Two of ‘LeBron’ titled ‘Glo and Bron’, Benedict outlined how a younger James was anxious and concerned for his mother, Gloria when he was a kid.
“During those dark childhood days, LeBron learned to fend for himself at an early age. ‘Like it or not,’ he said, ‘that’s how my mom treated me.’ Yet LeBron never doubted his mother’s love. He only questioned her whereabouts. ‘When you’re there and you know your mother’s not home, you never know if those police sirens are for her.'”
The author went on to add how James would fervently hope that the gunshots weren’t intended for Gloria.
“So those are those nights, almost every night, that would stand — hearing those sounds and hoping and wishing that it wasn’t your parent at the other end.”
Growing up in a housing project in Akron, Ohio, life wasn’t easy for James as he often lived alone. Gloria would go out for the night and would return sometimes in the morning or was off for a few days in a row. The early 90s weren’t a good time in a violence-riddled Ohio as he grew up hearing gunfire, pleading, and yelling around him.
Truthfully, it wasn’t a good place to grow up, and James had to endure and see things a child shouldn’t.
But despite the odds, James and Gloria shared a beautiful bond. Despite the lack of safety and the security of a steady job, the duo plowed on, and now, looking back, the mother-son duo will be at peace with where they are.
LeBron James Grew Up In A Tumultuous Scene In Akron, Ohio
Gloria had LeBron James on December 30, 1984, when he was just 16. His father, Anthony McClelland, who had a substantial criminal record wasn’t involved in his life, and James was raised solely by his mother.
Moving from one seedy unit to another in Akron, life for James was filled with hardship as Gloria’s work suffered to be steady. James was eventually allowed to love Frank Waller, a youth football coach, and his family. It was Waller who introduced James to basketball when he was nine.
Looking at James now, one couldn’t possibly imagine the tumultuous scene in which the NBA superstar grew up. In days when violence and crime rate in the country was witnessing a rapid rise, it was easy for the young kid to be sucked into a world of pain. but that Gloria was there for him every step of the way is indeed heartening.
Who Is LeBron James’ Father?
Named Anthony McClelland, LeBron James’ biological dad as he’s believed to be was someone the James family didn’t need, given his extensive criminal record.
There have been multiple reports that McClelland also went by the name of Roland Bivens, who was allegedly killed in 1994 in a drive-by shooting.
Over time there were strong claims that Bivens’ death was a hoax and it was indeed McClelland who had faked his death to possibly escape jail time. While there is no confirmation to the story, one thing was certain — neither of the names were present in the NBA icon’s formative years.
In his book, Benedict wrote that James’ questions about his father were shut down by Gloria, who told her son that it was just the two of them.
“Once, when LeBron was a child, he asked his mother about his father’s whereabouts. ‘She shut that s**t down early’, LeBron recalled. Rather than get into her father’s identity, Gloria told her son not to worry about him. ‘It’s me and you’, she told him. LeBron stopped asking about his father.”
There was no doubt that James’ resentment towards his father showed given the man’s absence from his life and to date. But with the way his future was shaped, there wasn’t a need for his father’s presence.
LeBron James Is One Of The Most Brilliant Success Stories In The History Of Sports
Considering where he is now at this stage of his life, given his turbulent childhood, it’s safe to say LeBron James is rightly one of the most brilliant success stories in the history of the sport.
The generational superstar that he was didn’t have it easy when he was a kid, but against all odds, James rose to be one of the most bonafide superstars in the game. Factor in his tough upbringing, the poverty, and the absence of a father figure, it was as if life dared LeBron to shoot his way out of the darkness.
Now, his list of accolades and his contribution to the sport put him on the map as a superstar. James is a future Hall of Famer and is an accomplished legend in his own right.
The four-time NBA champion has also been named to 18 All-Star games and 18 All-NBA Teams. He won MVP awards in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013 and is the only player in the league’s history to win a championship with three different teams.
Whether he wins a fifth title or not, as he nears 39 and his 21st season in the NBA, LeBron James will go down as one of the most inspirational players in sporting history.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
