Nike is shuttling LeBron James around Asia as part of the “Rise 2.0” campaign. (Peep the Yao Ming cameo appearance!)
LeBron and Yao teamed up in latest Nike Rise Tour: http://t.co/zh8xCVqTrX pic.twitter.com/GtKSGFGk9n
— SneakerNews.com (@SneakerNews) August 20, 2015
LBJ ran up-and-down the court with some kids in Manila, Philippines, casually punching in a few jams.
James says he hopes to inspire the youngsters to rise from adversity through hoops.
Per the AP:
The Cleveland Cavaliers star is the country to mentor finalists of “Rise,” a Nike-sponsored reality TV program aimed at finding young Filipino basketball players, mostly from the countryside, and to hone their talents. […] Coming from humble beginnings and raised by a single mother, James said he can relate to what the “Rise kids” are going through.
“I think my story speaks for itself, you know I was a kid who didn’t believe that I can’t make my dream become a reality, and I know it will take a lot of hard work, a lot of sacrifice and a lot of love,” he said. “I just love the game so much that I won’t let nobody tell me that I couldn’t accomplish something, so I know exactly what a lot of these kids are going through.”
It is James’ second visit to the basketball-crazy Philippines, where nearly every village has a basketball court. The last time he visited two years ago he was still with the Miami Heat.
