LeBron James‘ museum opened very recently in his hometown, Akron, Ohio. Ever the proud mother, Gloria James couldn’t help but visit the museum herself. Explaining to visitors what certain objects meant to ‘Bron’ as he grew up, she stopped at a baby’s mini hoop and told a rather hilarious anecdote from when her son was just two years old. The following is what she said, as seen in the X post by @BronGotGame.
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“I’m thinking it’s [mini hoop] too tall for him to play with, right? So, I put it down. He [LeBron James] falls out, actin’ a fool! ‘I want it up, I want it up!’ I said, ‘You not gon make no baskets if I put it up!’. ‘Put it up!’. I said, ‘What’s wrong with him?!’. He always played it at this height, at two years old.”
James has said that this $25 mini hoop was the start of his basketball journey. As per MARCA, LeBron James once even publicly agreed that the mini-hoop may have been the most profitable gift of all time. And admittedly, given that the Lakers superstar is a billionaire now, it is hard to disagree with the take.
LeBron James’ introduction to basketball
During his early life, Gloria James would allow LeBron to stay with the family of Frank Waller, a local youth football coach. Ironically enough, it was Waller who would eventually become James’ introduction to organized basketball.
However, none of it would have begun without his mother’s efforts. After all, despite having financial difficulties, she was able to buy her son a mini-hoop that cost $25.
James has been very public about his love for his mother. Even during an interview a whopping 21 years ago, when LeBron was a mere teenager, he said the following.
“I look at my goal and my dream as two different things. My dream is to see my mother happy every day, but my goal…is to get to the NBA.”
Even at an age where most wouldn’t bring up their mother, he was crystal clear on wanting to make his mother happy over all else. Many may criticize his basketball ability, but James has just about always been the perfect son.
