LeBron James Sets New Precedent for Professional Athletes
Even if you only have a single semi-conscious finger on the pulse of the news cycle, you’ve heard of Lebron James’ new school by now. If not, get with the program. The real story, however, is bigger than James’ extraordinary new I Promise School that opened in Akron in late July.
The real story is that James, like countless athletes before him, is a trendsetter. And this should be the trend we demand of our celebrities. If your net worth is somewhere in the ballpark of $440 million like Lebron James, is it really unreasonable to expect a school, a community center, or a library?
Now, before you get all capitalist on me, take a moment to consider the true scale of this situation.
We have to accept that at a certain point, the ability to do great deeds becomes a responsibility. It’s a concept many of the wealthiest people in the world have already accepted. Does nobody remember The Giving Pledge? As of right now, there are 183 billionaires on the planet who have made a commitment to give away a minimum of 50% of their net worth to charitable causes. Now, this is significant. We live in a world where the ultra-rich are single-handedly eradicating Malaria, rebuilding infrastructures after natural disasters, and taking mankind to Mars.
This is what the ultra-rich are doing. I’m not sure what the level below that is, mega-rich? Imagine a similar pledge from the mega-rich. Imagine a new school for at-risk children, or infant daycare center, or assisted living complex in every MLB, NFL, or NBA city in the United States. Why isn’t James’ school the rule instead of the exception?
In its first year alone, the I Promise School is enrolling 240 at-risk students, providing free food and uniforms, free bicycles and helmets for the students, and GED training for parents. This isn’t a one-time charitable give. This isn’t taking your latest shoe to the nearest inner city school and handing out free pairs and taking selfies with the kids. This is a lifetime commitment to a community. This is a single celebrity taking responsibility for the future well-being of an entire neighborhood. He shouldn’t be alone in this endeavor.
Yes, education and healthcare and childcare should be the responsibility of a well-oiled government. Social services should be something we can expect and count on without celebrity involvement. It isn’t Domino’s responsibility to fix our potholes, or Pornhub’s responsibility to plow our streets. Elon Musk shouldn’t be the one fixing the Water in Flint, and Bill Gates shouldn’t have to fight Malaria-riddle mosquitoes with lasers. But this is the world we live in, and our government is being led by a billionaire who hasn’t made The Giving Pledge.
If these mega-rich professional athletes and celebrities are so worthy of our attention, the needs of the public should be worthy of theirs.
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