There was a time when King James was homeless and struggling to find stability in life. While his mother Gloria was and remains his constant pillar of support, James needed all the help that he could gather to get where he reached in his life and his career.

Gloria James had just quit a job, and the family was living under welfare at the time. There was not enough to sustain two lives in suburban Akron for Gloria. While James was not adopted technically, there were foster figures in his life who helped mold LeBron James into the star he is today.

 

In the beginning, it was Bruce Kelker, and then it was the Walker family who lived in the suburbs of Akron.

The arrival of Bruce Kelker in James’s life coincided with the beginning of James’s involvement in competitive athletics and the first public exhibitions of his unearthly athletic talent.

 

Kelker’s hunt for a prospective football star led to LeBron James capturing his attention. This led to the beginning of the beginning of a familial relationship, with James and Gloria even staying with Kelker. Kelker’s search for a possible football star led to LeBron James catching Kelker’s eye.

However, James’ chances of making it to the NBA were hampered further by Kelker’s inability to support his own life. This was the next obstacle. Because of this, James was forced to seek shelter from the generosity of another person and his family, which ultimately led him and his companions to the hospitable household of the Walkers.

Frankie Walker, who is widely considered as LeBron James’s mentor, was instrumental in LeBron James’s upbringing.

Frankie Walker and his family took James, who admittedly was a football player at the time, under their wing and helped him develop his skills. Walker Jr., the son of Frankie Walker, was forced to room alongside future superstar LeBron James as the Walkers were settling into their new home. James was on the verge of becoming a global phenomenon.

 

 

James and Walker Jr. played football together on the team. Their bond extended far beyond than Akron and remains strong to this day. Even more, Walker Jr. is one of James’ partners in the business. It is obvious that LeBron James has not forgotten the folks who assisted him in finding a place to rest before he began his ascent to superstardom.

 

During the offseason for football, when he was living with the Walkers, the future superstar of the Los Angeles Lakers began to develop an interest in the sport of basketball. As is well known, the outcome of this judgment radically altered the landscape of basketball and the NBA for several decades to come.

James is said to have learned the fundamentals of the game of basketball from Frank Walker. James was tutored by Walker, who instructed him on how to dribble the ball and make layups. It was here that the groundwork was created for what would become one of the best careers in the history of basketball, if not the best career ever.

 

 

The Walkers did more for James than simply adopt him; they took measures to ensure that his childhood was saved from the grasp of an anonymity brought on by abject poverty. As a direct result of their kind deed, the sporting world now has access to one of the most talented athletes in history.