LeBron James has been in the spotlight for over two decades, yet he has maintained a nearly spotless image in public. James has hardly ever found himself making headlines for the wrong reasons with regard to his personal life, and Gary Payton II revealed on the Jaxxon Podcast that he is indeed a great human being in person.
“Good human, family dude,” Payton said. “On the court, he’s one guy, and off the court, he’s a family [man]. He’s amazing. Humble.”
Co-host Rampage Jackson hilariously stated that Payton’s media training was showing. The 32-year-old made it clear, though, that he was being genuine and shared that he has known James for a very long time.
“I’ve known Bron since he was in high school,” Payton said. “I was a young kid, he used to come over to my dad’s house in Vegas when he was doing all his AAU stuff and whatnot.”
Payton’s father, of course, is the great Gary Payton, who is a Hall of Famer. James went from going to the Payton household as a teenager to competing against both father and son in the NBA. He has been on the basketball scene forever at this point.
People have been waiting for James to slip up off the court for all these years, but he hasn’t. You can criticize the 21-time All-Star for his play on the court or for some of his passive-aggressive antics, but not for anything he has done in his personal life.
For starters, James has been a great husband and father. He and his wife, Savannah James, have been together for over two decades, having started dating back in high school. Some unproven adultery accusations aside, there has been little to no controversy surrounding the couple.
James, who grew up without a father, also appears to have made a positive impact on the lives of his three children: Bronny, Bryce, and Zhuri. He has been very supportive of his sons throughout their basketball journeys and is currently playing alongside Bronny on the Los Angeles Lakers. He has been fiercely protective of his son, too.
James has also engaged in various philanthropic endeavors, with his I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, perhaps being the finest example of that. It was opened to provide underprivileged children with high-quality education and support.
We have seen many celebrities stumble and struggle to cope with all the attention that comes with their fame, but James hasn’t. He has been a wonderful role model, and Draymond Green believes he is the greatest face of the NBA ever.
“When you look at those three things, it’s a testament to how he lives his life,” Green said. “I recently said he’s the greatest face the NBA has ever had. Think about the day and age we live in – cameras, social media – he’s never had a scandal. Never been arrested. Never photo’d drunk. Those things go hand in hand with durability, longevity, consistency… It’s a testament to the discipline he has in his life, and basketball is a result of that. It speaks to the person that he is, and basketball has benefited from that.”
Charles Barkley has also stated that James’ story is the greatest in sports history. Barkley is amazed by how the 40-year-old hasn’t screwed up in all these years despite people trying to get him. We might never see another story like his.
