LeBron James is arguably the most influential athlete in the world right now, and he wields so much power that he can call President Trump a “bum” without any repercussions from a president who is notoriously thin-skinned – especially towards people of colour.
Recognising his clout to enact positive change, LeBron has chosen to hand over his Instagram page to young people in order for them to tell their own stories, in a show of support with those trying to make the world a better place.
When you get a surprise new hero.
With 37 million followers, LeBron is the fifth most-followed athlete in the world on Instagram, and possesses one of the most influential platforms in the world.
For the past 7 years, LeBron has undertaken a social media blackout during playoffs on his way to becoming the greatest of all time (sorry, Michael Jordan, but it’s true), but this season, he has taken a different tack.
Starting from 24 April, each day James has allowed a different young person to share their passion project through his Instagram Story feed, whether it is philanthropy, business or social activism.
An Instagram Story disappears within 24 hours, but LeBron has pinned their stories on his highlights feed and it is proving to have a positive effect for the young people involved.
Each story begins with the participant uttering the words, “Always Believe” and after that, they have an opportunity to tell their story to literally millions.
Some of the stories are earnest, others are heartfelt, but all represent important missions that can benefit from the LeBron amplification.
Year 8 student, Mikaila Ulmer, has decided to sell her grandmother’s sweet lemonade recipe in grocery stores and donate profits to causes helping to saving honeybees, after learning they were dying at an alarming rate.
11-year-old Kheris Rogers started a clothing company focused on anti-bullying called, Flexin’ in my Complexion after she personally experienced bullying due to her skin colour.
Speaking to USA Today, James personally chooses each participant who is trying to achieve something important for their communities.
“It’s just people talking about how passionate they are about what they’re doing and how important they are to their communities, and what it means to have a dream and more importantly, what it means to go tackle that dream and become something more than what even your loved ones thought you could become,” LeBron said.
Doing good. Feels good.
The genius with LeBron handing over his Instagram is multi-pronged.
His immense platform has a reach greater than any of these awesome kids would normally be able to achieve on their own, and he legitimises their vision to other young people through his personal endorsement.
Genius!
The stories will continue to appear on LeBron’s Instagram page until the end of the playoffs where hopefully, he can add to his legend by winning another championship.
To the kids involved however, he is already the greatest.
Bravo!