If you ever have the opportunity to tour Akron, Ohio, alongside Savannah and LeBron James, they might take you down the tree-lined street where Savannah spent her childhood with her parents, or show you the low-income housing where LeBron once lived with his mother. They could even point out St. Vincent–St. Mary, LeBron’s high school, where tourists occasionally show up in hopes of catching a glimpse of the gym where the four-time NBA MVP began his journey, and which the LeBron James Family Foundation renovated. On this tour, you’d also visit Savannah’s high school, where she once cheered and still, in a way, serves as a cheerleader today.
If your tour brings you back to their magnificent Frank Lloyd Wright–style home on the outskirts of Akron, you might hear Savannah, warm and friendly, flashing a bright smile as she playfully nudges her husband to recount the story of their first date.
“He met me!” she teases. “I didn’t meet him!”
They make a charming couple, relaxing in their backyard on the weekend, with LeBron relishing the time spent with his family: his two-year-old daughter, Zhuri, and his sons, LeBron Jr. (twelve) and Bryce Maximus (ten), as well as his mother, Gloria. Their yard, occasionally featured on LeBron’s Instagram, is a lush and green oasis, surrounded by tall pines and adorned with topiaries and a pool. Bagels and coffee are on offer, and when I inquire if LeBron remembers that night in 2002, he lights up and turns to his wife. “You were wearing a black-and-pink two-piece,” he recalls, now beaming. “Right?”
“Yes!” Savannah is impressed and charmed by his memory.
For the record, his outfit from that night has been lost to history, but they both remember that the evening went well. LeBron is quick to mention that he was determined to impress her father with his punctuality. “I was following the rules,” he insists.
Now, fifteen years later, they’re stepping into the spotlight together once more. LeBron aims to showcase a side of himself that the world outside of Akron rarely sees or comprehends, while Savannah seeks to expand her commitment to supporting young women, building on her work over the past five years with the foundation’s other initiatives. They are granting a rare interview as a couple, displaying a relaxed and welcoming demeanor. (Friends confirm they are known for their hospitality, saying, “You go for lunch, and you end up staying for dinner.”)
In person, LeBron is as tall as you’d expect from the man arguably considered the best basketball player in the world, while Savannah stands at an elegant five feet seven, exuding a charismatic presence.
“Gabrielle Union, an actress married to the Chicago Bulls’ Dwyane Wade and a friend of the James family, shares her insight: “Me and Dwyane, our biggest takeaway about Savannah and LeBron is that they’re real. What you see is exactly what you get. You think, ‘Oh, my God, LeBron is silly and jumps around,’ and you know? That’s who he is. Who is Savannah, for those who don’t know her? ‘She’s a woman who really has that Midwestern ethic,’ says Union. ‘And I’m from the Midwest, so I know this. It’s that you say what you do and you do what you say.'”
This past spring, Savannah unveiled a new program in Akron: Women of Our Future. With the assistance of a team of certified mentors and counselors, she will start working with sixteen high school girls at Buchtel, her alma mater, offering one-on-one support. Her inspiration for this initiative comes from her mother, who did everything in her power to help young people in need during Savannah’s upbringing. “When I was growing up, my mom took in three or four kids just because they needed a place to go and be safe, to eat,” she recalls. Another source of inspiration is Akron and its residents. “These are my friends; these are my cousins,” says Savannah. “These are people who I was extremely close to and still am now; these are the kids of neighborhood kids who we saw every day at school. And if they just have the right push…”
In Akron, you witness a side of LeBron that the rest of the world rarely sees. Everyone knows LeBron James, the basketball superstar. Many are aware of his budding career in Hollywood, where he executive-produces his television series (The Wall and Cleveland Hustles) and famously co-starred in Trainwreck. Even LeBron James, the businessman with numerous endorsement deals, is not groundbreaking news, especially to Warren Buffett. The investment guru describes LeBron as not only warm-hearted and funny but also highly intelligent. “If I’d had that much success that young, I’d have had trouble, but he’s been able to just be sensible and keep his head on straight,” Buffett remarks. “I admire him greatly. He’s one of my favorite nephews!”
However, it’s LeBron’s work in Akron’s schools that truly cements his status as a local hero. The LeBron James Family Foundation began in 2004 as a typical celebrity charity, hosting bike giveaways and enlisting celebrities to attract kids. However, the Jameses soon realized they weren’t making a significant impact. LeBron recalls, “We felt like, OK, how much of a difference are we making?” This led them back to the drawing board at the foundation’s Akron office—a vibrant, bustling space with dedicated staff, framed headlines, and magazine covers. On the wall, a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. welcomes staff and visitors: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘What are you doing for others?'”
In 2011, the foundation decided to deepen its collaboration with the city’s educators. They discovered that the high school dropout rate was a staggering 24 percent, a statistic that prompted them to reevaluate their efforts, focusing on creating not just educational but also emotional and nutritional support, particularly for low-income families. Akron’s predominantly impoverished community often faces food insecurity. The ultimate goal was to improve graduation rates, with a focus on low-income families with low standardized test scores, often left behind in schools that charter schools cherry-pick for their top-performing students. Rob Fischer, the codirector of the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development at Case Western Reserve University, notes, “You have a sea of Ds and Fs for Akron on the state report card. So just changing the myths about what we should expect from Akron students is powerful.”
After months of meetings, the foundation decided to target the point where minority children, who make up the majority in Akron, tend to fall behind: third grade. The LeBron James Family Foundation initiated a back-to-school orientation program for at-risk students, as identified by the public schools. This program is designed to bring students’ skills up to par and provide support for the upcoming academic year. Remarkably, stigma is not an issue in this program, as Keith Liechty, the coordinator of school improvement for Akron Public Schools, explains, “Before the James foundation, it was a struggle to get parents involved.”
What began with 232 students five years ago has now expanded to more than 1,200. LeBron, Savannah, and the foundation staff regularly meet with these students to discuss their goals and needs. During these meetings, the students renew their commitment to complete their education. In response to demand from parents and teachers, the foundation launched the Hard Work Club in
2015, covering the cost of additional teachers for after-school sessions and providing extra books. In 2015, LeBron announced that he would provide free tuition to the University of Akron for anyone who remains in the James family’s program through high school and meets specific requirements related to schoolwork and community service. The announcement left parents in tears. Throughout this process, LeBron makes appearances, hosts meals, records motivational messages, and wears a wristband that kids in his program can recognize on TV.
This year, the Jameses took a groundbreaking step by establishing an entirely new public elementary school for at-risk students. It’s a bold experiment that runs counter to the prevailing trend of charter schools dominating public education, as it aims to provide more resources to students with the least. Michele Roberts, the head of the National Basketball Players Association, where LeBron serves on the executive committee, applauds his efforts: “He could simply write checks to fund all the programs and never make an appearance, and no one would blame him. But he genuinely believes that, through his personal influence, he can inspire young people. He comes back, talks to them, keeps track of their progress. His engagement is phenomenal.”
Jamil Wright, a fourteen-year-old Akron student who is now on the path to college after receiving over five years of support, appreciates the after-school assistance and field trips to local businesses. He remarks, “I get to work hard, not just go home and be bored. Right now, I want to be an engineer at Goodyear.” Once, Jamil tried to catch LeBron’s attention to see if the Akron icon remembered their correspondence. To Jamil’s amazement, LeBron did and reassured him, saying, “I got you!”
Two years ago, Michelle Obama visited Akron to emphasize the unique impact of the James foundation. She pointed out that it inspires local students to attend college in their own city and not seek opportunities elsewhere. Mrs. Obama encouraged the at-risk kids, affirming, “I want you to own the fact that all these important people are here because of how amazing you all are.”
Back in their garden, people are enjoying the pool house, engaging in conversations with friends and family, and Savannah is reminiscing about the inception of I PROMise in 2012. This program provides prom dresses for high school girls who cannot afford them. Savannah explains her motivation: “I can remember being in high school and talking with some girls about prom. And then you have a friend who says, ‘I can’t go to prom’ for whatever reason…” While this program may seem small in scale, it carries a significant impact. Michele Roberts, who grew up in the Bronx’s public housing, reflects, “One of the first things I heard about the foundation had to do with prom dresses. I’m 60, but I remember prom, and I remember being poor, and I remember me and a lot of other people didn’t go to prom because we didn’t have anything to wear. Some people would say, ‘Ah, prom dresses—that’s so insignificant.’ But that’s empowering, and only people who care or have walked in those shoes can understand that.”
LeBron joins us to sit down and chat, emphasizing the importance of understanding who these kids are since he was once one of them. However, on this sunny Saturday with his family, his inclination is not to sit. At some point, Savannah playfully rolls her eyes and says, “He’s Mr. Ball of Energy.”
As I prepare to bid farewell, I am reminded of a story shared by Gabrielle Union about LeBron. She, her husband Dwyane Wade, and other friends and athletes went snorkeling in the Bahamas a few years ago. Some, including Wade, were not comfortable in the ocean due to their city upbringing and limited swimming skills. Union recounts, “LeBron, it turns out, is Aquaman!” Eventually, they all ventured into the water, but at the end of the swim, when everyone was back on the boat, LeBron noticed a missing person and immediately dived back in to rescue him. “He literally brings our friend back, like something out of an episode of Baywatch,” Union exclaims. “Because he’s that guy, and when you see that, you know he is not going to leave these at-risk kids behind or an NBA player snorkeling. He’s that guy who dives in.”
Savannah often says that LeBron has put Akron on the map, unlike when she was a child and her Southern cousins had no idea where Akron was. She appreciates how her husband encourages others, and encouragement is Savannah’s guiding principle. “If there’s nothing more you can do for a child, just constantly encourage them and set them on the right path when it comes to sports, their schoolwork, or nurturing a hobby—whatever it may be. Just be a constant source of encouragement. That’s what LeBron talks about—never give up.”
When it comes to their own children, LeBron acknowledges his wife’s crucial role. “We have a system, and it works very well for our family. And like I always say, there’s no library… there’s no philosopher—”
“No book!” Savannah interjects, laughing.
“No book that can tell you about parenthood,” LeBron continues. “Even your mom, your dad, your grandparents—they can give you pointers, but you have to go along that path on your own because every kid is different, every situation is different. Me and my wife are different, but at the same time, we’re the same. I’m gone a lot, so she is the boss of the household; she’s the rule-setter. It’s hard for me to go on the road for two and a half weeks and then come home and tell my kids, ‘Look, this is how it should be done’ when she’s been home every day.”
“Yeah,” says Savannah, laughing again, “don’t come home throwing monkey wrenches in the operation! But yes, we have that understanding.”