Basketball superstar LeBron James appears as dedicated to his hometown of Akron, Ohio, as he is to becoming the world's first billionaire athlete.
At 24 years old and six years in the NBA, James still lives nearby with his high school sweetheart. Old friends run his marketing company. And in May, the national media squeezed into his old high school gym to cover his acceptance of the NBA's Most Valuable Player award. James says Akron remains integral to who he is.
"That's all we talk about is Akron, no matter where we go. People ask where we're from, we say Akron, Ohio," James says.
James and his high school teammates call themselves the "Fab Five" and recently reunited at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School — his alma mater — to reminisce about their days on and off the court.
James and his friends are on a world tour promoting the documentary More Than a Game. The film follows the group while on the road to winning a high school state championship in 2003 — and James' rise to superstardom as a teen.
Ahead of its October release, the film is debuting in major markets like L.A., London and Shanghai — and Akron.
Over the years, James has worked with Nike to refurbish school gyms, give backpacks to kids and outfit St. Vincent-St. Mary and the University of Akron's men's basketball teams. His new Nike shoe features Akron's cityscape. And James lends his name to nearly a half-dozen charity events in Akron, including a youth basketball tournament.
But sports economist Andrew Zimbalist says it's not like James is giving Akron a huge tourism boost.
"To the extent that other individuals all of the sudden have Akron in their consciousness doesn't mean that they're going to spend money in Akron, doesn't mean that they're going to travel a hundred miles or a thousand miles to visit Akron," Zimbalist says.
Cleveland Plain Dealer sports columnist Terry Pluto agrees. Pluto has followed James since Sports Illustrated ordained the then-17-year-old the "Chosen One."
"Is LeBron making Akron a financial boon town or making it better? No. But I know he's met with Nike executives at Wally Waffle in downtown Akron. I don't see a lot of other athletes doing that," Pluto says.
And Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic doesn't want James to take his loyalty elsewhere, which is why his city is as edgy as Cleveland about whether James will sign a new contract next year with the Cavaliers.
"I've thought about actually writing him a letter, sitting down. And I would encourage him, really, on a personal basis — I'm not just talking about good for the community and good for the Cavaliers and good for Akron — what it means to just go to another team," Plusquellic says.
James won't commit to staying with the Cavs or even staying in Akron. And recently he's taken to using phrases like Akron always having a special place in his heart.
"I'll always remember this city. This city has helped me get to where I am today. And I can only live in the present," James says. "And I don't know what the future holds, but hopefully it holds great things."
And people in Akron hope the future includes native son LeBron James for years to come.
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