As LeBron James returns to Cleveland for this weekend’s NBA All-Star game, he wants to make sure everyone gets one thing straight.
He is from Akron, Ohio, not Cleveland.
The Los Angeles Times’ Dan Woike spoke with James about what Akron means to him and why that is such an important distinction.
“People always say, ‘You’re going back home.’ But I tell people all the time, ‘I’m not from Cleveland.’ There’s no disrespect to Cleveland. But, when you’re from Akron, you’re not from Cleveland,” James told Woike. “This is where I’m from.”
James also explained why it’s important for people to recognize that he is from Akron because of how much the community helped him become the player he is today.