LeBron James: Kids Are Benefitting from ‘The Decision’

At a Boys & Girls Clubs of America event, LeBron James told the media that he doesn’t mind the flack he’s still getting over “The Decision” because it was all for a good cause. From US News & World Report: “Basketball superstar LeBron James said the mentors the organization provides can help change lives. The Akron, Ohio, native said that while growing up in an inner city, many people thought he’d fall through the system’s cracks. ‘They always expect you to be a statistic,’ he said. ‘The greatest reward that I got was these coaches; these role models; these people that helped me make my dreams become a reality.’ James raised more than $3 million to renovate basketball gyms at Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide with his summer 2010 TV special The Decision, in which he announced he would leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to sign with the Miami Heat. James drew criticism from some, who said The Decision, which was broadcast from a Boys & Girls Club in Greenwich, Conn., was an overly harsh way of informing Cavaliers fans of his departure. Although many don’t mention the money he raised, he says he doesn’t regret making the announcement on live TV. ‘It doesn’t bother me,’ he says. ‘I know the reason I did it, I know that kids are benefitting from it. I’m excited about the opportunity that these kids get.'”