Over the course of his 17-year NBA career -- and even before it -- LeBron James has accomplished plenty.
But according to the 16-time All-Star, it's not his four MVPs, three NBA championships or 12 first-team All-NBA selections that stand out as his top accomplishment. Rather, it's the free tuition that Kent State is now offering to all eligible students within the oldest class of James' I PROMISE School.
In addition to Kent State, those students will also have the option of attending the University of Akron through a previously announced program with the school.
"Like free tuition for four years. So they get to decide if they want to get free tuition there or if they want to go to Akron U," James told reporters following the Los Angeles Lakers' 120-116 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. "They have so many options. I just know that so many kids from my community don't have many options. For me to be in a position where I can give these kids options where they can decide what they want to do with their future -- it's probably the best thing I've ever done."
Kent State is just the latest entity to lend a helping hand to James' I PROMISE School, which opened in 2018 in his hometown of Akron and aims to help at-risk children with a curriculum focused on science, technology, engineering and math. The oldest class of the I PROMISE Network currently consists of 193 high school juniors, who will be eligible to take advantage of the Kent State offer as college freshmen in the 2021-22 academic year.
"Kent State loves what we're doing. We've always had a great relationship with Kent State and Akron U. They love what we've been doing at the IPS and we love the universities as well," James said. "It's always mutual when we come together for something like that. To be able to give free tuition to my inaugural kids, it's crazy."