LeBron James explains why Jay-Z is one of his biggest inspirations: “My big brother”
LeBron James has gone into detail about why Jay-Z is one of his biggest inspirations.
The NBA legend has known Hov for over 25 years, using the Brooklyn rapper as inspiration in the way he carries himself throughout life.
Speaking to CNBC at the Sport and Boardroom’s Game Plan Summit, LeBron described Jay as his “big brother.”
“Literally, my first summer with them was The Blueprint album 25 summers ago,” he said. “So, man, he’s been one of my biggest inspirations. I say MJ was my biggest inspiration as far as basketball, but I never got an opportunity to hang with him or talk to him or whatever. But Jay is like my big brother. He’s the one who’s given me so much game and has taught me so much.”
He added, “And I’m always thinking about him any time I’m doing something business-wise or making a decision or whatever, thinking like, is this going to make him proud, because he gave me so much game as a 16-year-old kid.”
LeBron recalled meeting Jay in Chicago and reflected on his 16-year-old self as someone who is now 41.
“I’m 41 now, going on 42, and I met Jay and started hanging with Jay and their crew and our and our crew when I was 16,” he said. “So I was 16 years old the first time I met Jay, met him in Chicago. They were doing a show. He was on tour, met him there … We really just watched Jay and how they moved and how he moved and it was like a sponge. We didn’t say much. We didn’t ask for much. We just sat there.”
He continued, “And he moved how a person that know who he is and what he brings to the table is supposed to move, and from the business side, to the way he walked, to the way he talked, to the way he greeted people. It was just an aura about him and a professionalism in his respective genre that we all kind of learned, and we all kind of took to this point now.”
LeBron also compared their backgrounds, coming from difficult circumstances in Brooklyn, New York City, and Akron, Ohio. “I mean, he comes from Marcy Projects in Brooklyn,” he said. “He know what it means to have him to scrap and grind for everything. I come from Elizabeth Park projects in Akron, Ohio. So I know exactly what it means to scrap and claw for everything.”
He added, “So it’s just a mindset. And when you know you got that, when you know you have the vision and you start to realise the power that you possess, and now you could tap into these resources, you become unstoppable.”