LeBron Surprises A Group Of Teenagers At The YMCA In Harlem

For 50 teenagers who found themselves at the YMCA in Harlem, Tuesday was one of the luckiest days of their lives. LeBron James showed up to announce a partnership between Uninterrupted, the YMCA and Lyft. The goal is to give young people increased access to bicycles with free Citi Bike memberships. 

James surprised everyone when he walked into the gym. Some kids started screaming while others grabbed at their faces in shock. Understandable, of course.

The teenagers got a free year’s access to New York Citi Bike and a backpack filled with gear. 

The Event Meant A Lot To James

James, who relied on a bike as a child and has remained an avid biker in adulthood, said this event meant a lot to him personally. The 15-time All-Star and three-time NBA champion sometimes even used to bike to games when he played for Miami. 

“This is very special to me,” James said. “I was a kid who grew up in the inner city of Akron, Ohio, riding bikes. What bikes did for me, to be able to travel across the city with my friends, from my home to school, or get to basketball practices and football practices, and be able just to travel in the beautiful fresh air, be able to clear your mind at times, it’s a segue to be able to do so many things that can also carry you for the rest of your life.”

These are LeBron’s comments to the kids at the YMCA, where he talks about what having a bike as a kid meant to him. pic.twitter.com/yA8gSbJlFi

— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) January 21, 2020

James didn’t hesitate to attend the event on his off-day. He is also preparing for a back-to-back against New York and Brooklyn on Wednesday and Thursday. 

The goal of the collaboration is to provide memberships to eligible youth between the ages of 16 and 20. 

“I truly appreciate you guys, love you guys, man, and I hope you guys continue to be great,” James said to the audience in YMCA in Harlem. “Continue to be great role models, great citizens in the community. If you’ve got any siblings, continue to be role models to them, to your best friends, to your parents, all of them. People are looking up to y’all. You guys look up to me, but I look up to y’all for inspiration.”