LeBron James on fatherhood: How did his painful past shape his promise?

LeBron James became a father at 19, just as his NBA career was taking off.

Reflecting on his own childhood without his biological father, he told the Akron Beacon Journal in October 2004, “That’s my main goal, to try and be a better father than the one I had.” Over the years, James has emphasized family, presence and guiding his children while allowing them to create their own paths.