AKRON, Ohio — EDITOR'S NOTE: The video in the player above is from a previous story
NBA legend and Akron native LeBron James can soon add "novelist" to his resume.
The former Cavaliers and current Los Angeles Lakers star's new book "We Are Family" is set to come out Tuesday. Co-written with Andrea Williams, the young adult novel focuses on the lives of five new friends who have different backgrounds, dreams, and goals, but come together to save their basketball season and prove that sometimes getting a chance is all it takes to succeed.
"Everyone has a story and unique set of challenges they're going through that we don't always hear about," James said. "'We Are Family' shows how an unlikely group of kids comes together to chase their dreams, despite having the odds stacked against them. It's an important story of family, purpose, and perseverance in the face of adversity that I hope inspires everyone who reads it never to stop dreaming and believing in what they're capable of."
The book is the second for James, whose picture book "I Promise" made it to No. 1 on The New York Times' bestseller list last year. Like his first work, his latest writing is published by HarperCollins.
Lebron has dedicated his time off the court to make sure that his foundation is living out the "We Are Family" philosophy. In 2018, he opened his I Promise School in Akron to focus on STEM curriculum and social-emotional support. The facility has an entire Family Resource Wing on-site dedicated to supporting students' families, including GED opportunities, legal aid, medical and mental health resources, job and family services, financial literacy programming, and unlimited access to food pantries and other essentials.
"It's hard to overstate the life-changing power of sports," Williams said. "We can see it on a community level through the incredible work LeBron is doing with his foundation, and we can see it on an individual level in a book like 'We Are Family.' Not all of these kids are natural athletes, but through basketball, they can find happiness, hope, and, most important, family."
While "We Are Family" won't hit bookshelves until tomorrow, you can pre-order it now on HarperCollins.com.