LeBron James may be receiving a lot of praise for his excellence on the court but he is also celebrated for his work outside of it. His philanthropic endeavors have not gone unnoticed over the years with Jrue Holiday’s wife recently commending the four-time NBA champion for donating $41 million to send over 1,100 students to college.

His donation has made him the sixth most charitable athlete, which says a lot about his dedication to giving back. It was catapulted by the LeBron James Family Foundation, including the I Promise School, which is focused on providing educational needs to the younger generation.

“Love this,” Holiday posted.

Like LeBron James, Lauren Holiday and Jrue Holiday also did their part when they worked with the Milwaukee Bucks Foundation and the Kohler Co. by donating over $200k to renovate women’s shelters. It was done around the area of Wisconsin.

LeBron James talked about the growth of his foundation

The LeBron James Family Foundation was established in 2004. It didn’t take long before he started the “I Promise” program to provide the resources that the next generation needs for their future.

Before reaching the position he is in now, it wasn’t always easy for the LA Lakers star who grew up in Akron, Ohio. Arriving in the league straight out of high school was a long journey, and he was dedicated to his craft.

Looking back on the growth of his foundation and the “I Promise” program, LeBron James acknowledged how his initiative to give back has always been a focus of his, per the Associated Press’ Tim Reynolds in February 2023.

“Even before I got into the NBA, I knew I wanted to find a way to give back to my community,” James said.

He was also pleased with how much it has grown over the years. Aside from providing a quality place to learn, the foundation has also added the “I Promise” village. It is partnered with Graduate Hotels which aims to provide housing to students and families in need.

“I couldn’t have guessed how much it would grow,” James said. “But we got here by listening and responding to our community and what they need.”

The “I Promise” school was first opened on July 30, 2018, and housed over 240 students.

Last season, LeBron James put up another incredible individual stat line as he averaged 25.7 points (54.0% shooting, including 41.0% from beyond the arc), 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game.

He is entering this upcoming season alongside his son Bronny James as the first father-and-son tandem to play for an NBA team in league history.