CLEVELAND — LeBron James knows a thing or two about bringing a championship to the city of Cleveland.
And now, so does the Glenville High School football team.
And while James currently resides in Los Angeles as a member of the Lakers, the four-time NBA MVP was well aware of the Tarblooders' 26-6 victory over Wyoming in the Ohio Division IV state championship game this past weekend. Making his return to Northeast Ohio for the Lakers' 116-102 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, James gave a shoutout to Glenville for becoming the first Cleveland Metropolitan School District football team to win a state championship in the playoff era.
"Congratulations to Glenville, that's amazing," James said. "It just brings so much awareness. I think it's amazing when you get a school like Glenville that can win a state championship. It allows a lot of the inner city kids to feel like they can go there and win as well and be seen and be heard. It gives a lot of credit to that. I just think it's pretty special.
"I've got a couple of friends of mine that actually went to Glenville years and years and years ago that are from that community and they were extremely excited. Coach [Ted] Ginn [Sr.] is a friend of ours and obviously, his son, Teddy Ginn [Jr.] is a friend of ours. So just seeing the success that they had and being able to make that run to be able to bring a state championship back to the city, to the inner city, it brings a lot not only to the sports side of the inner city but also just to the community in general."
Following a rally at the Ginn Academy on Monday, the celebration on the Tarblooders will continue on Thursday when the City of Cleveland hosts a parade for the team. The motorcade will begin at 10 a.m. from the high school and travel down St. Clair Avenue to Ontario Street to Lakeside Avenue for a team rally and victory party at Cleveland Public Hall at 11 a.m.