LeBron James, NBA legend, is set to mentor a young high school student aspiring to become a
NASCAR
driver.
James
, one of the
most decorated players in NBA history
, has clinched four championships with three different teams, including the 2020 title with his current team, the
Los Angeles Lakers
.
At 40-years-old, he’s focused on fostering a strong rapport with teammate
Luka Doncic
and guiding the Lakers back to glory, boasting an average of 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game last season. Off the court, James continues to uplift youth in his hometown through his commendable philanthropic efforts that have spanned his career.
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He famously established the I Promise School, a public elementary school for at-risk children, and recently launched the LeBron James Family Foundation. This initiative provides scholarships, mentorship, and career pathways to thousands of students.
While James has been increasingly vocal about NASCAR in recent years, he has now decided to invest in the future of a young athlete eager to emulate Bubba Wallace.
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The LeBron James Family Foundation shared the story of CeCe Wilson, a junior at STEM High School in Akron who dreams of becoming a racecar driver. During a virtual Q&A session with James, Wilson shared his ambition with the Lakers superstar.
“My question is, my real passion is to be a racecar driver, and that’s like a real hard to access sport, since you already have to be like, rich,” Wilson expressed. “Would there be like, anything that you could help people like me dream to do that?”.
Facing financial hurdles within NASCAR, James didn’t hesitate to offer his support.
“Say no more, CeCe,” James assured. “I’ll get right on there. Over the last few years,
we’ve made a lot of connections with a lot of people in NASCAR
. And if that’s something that you’re super passionate about, we will make sure that you will get to some events.”
James further pledged: “Be able to be there, get into the cockpit, see some of the cars, how they are built, how these guys race. We will get that done. I can’t get a lot of things done, but I can get that done for you.”
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Later down the road, at the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, James’ foundation and RFK Racing made sure CeCe and his family received an invitation.
With VIP access to the NASCAR world, CeCe met top-tier drivers such as Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher, and Ryan Preece, exploring garages and soaking up the pit atmosphere.
Capturing the triumphant experience, CeCe’s mother, Sarah Wilson, encapsulated the impact in a video from the LeBron James Family Foundation: “There’s no greater joy than watching your kid’s dream come true. I didn’t think it was attainable for a kid like him.
“Now he knows it is. Because of LeBron saying ‘I got you,’ he made his impossible possible.”
