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Dave McMenamin, ESPN Staff Writer 7y

LeBron James wins award J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for community service

NBA, Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron James' already cluttered awards shelf, stocked up thanks to his individual accomplishments, is about to get a little more crowded because of his work helping others.

James was named the recipient of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for the 2016-17 NBA season, it was announced Sunday.

The honor, selected by the Professional Basketball Writers Association and named after the league's second commissioner, is presented annually to a player, coach or athletic trainer who shows outstanding service and dedication to his community.

"It means a lot," James said after Cleveland Cavaliers shootaround Sunday morning in preparation for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics. "I do so much for my community and my foundation does a great job of giving families and kids and the youth an opportunity to better their lives and better their futures.

"For that part of what I do to be recognized, it's definitely an award that not only myself and my foundation but all my kids that are a part of my program and all the people that look up to me, it's their award for sure."

James, 32, is being honored for improving the educational opportunities of disadvantaged youth in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, and promoting grass-roots change in his community. A staple of his impact has been the more than 1,100 at-risk students who have benefited from programs through the LeBron James Family Foundation, which motivates children to stay in school.

He was one of five finalists for the award, along with New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler, Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum and Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph.

James established the LJFF in 2004, but re-prioritized its ambitions towards educational support in 2011.

"It's always been a big priority as far as whenever I said if I'm able to become successful in whatever I do in life, I want to give back to my community," James said. "But it's all about trying to figure out what's the most important impact you can make. Once we started shifting the bike-a-thon into the educational thing, seeing that these kids needed help at that particular point in their lives in the third grade and started to make it more about that and not only helping the kids but also helping the parents as well, that's when it became more impactful because you know it can help these kids later on in life."

James' involvement in his foundation includes mentoring students, checking in on them with written letters and phone calls and providing incentives such as tickets to Cavaliers games. His foundation also provides families with groceries, school supplies, school uniforms and group outings. He hosts an annual "Family Reunion," celebrating the year's accomplishments for his students and their families at a Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio.

"LeBron James' efforts to help young people are exemplary," said PBWA president Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. "He is making a difference, and so are the other 25 people who were nominated for this award."

LJFF continues to evolve and this season announced a partnership with Akron Public School to open up a new public school, the I PROMISE School, tailored to meet the needs of the students in his program and their families.

The idea is an extension of the I PROMISE Institute at the University of Akron, which is intended to provide support for LJFF students on their path to four-year degrees. In 2015, James and the University of Akron pledged full college scholarships for qualifying students enrolled in his program.

At this year's All-Star weekend in New Orleans, James brought 23 high school students from Akron to Louisiana to rebuild a home damaged by Hurricane Katrina and assisted in tornado relief efforts.

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