Inarguably one of the best basketball players to ever grace the hardwood, the 37-year-old NBA superstar Lebron James has partnered with Crypto.com to bring blockchain and Web 3.0 education to the classroom.
With the partnership, the Lebron James’ Family Foundation will work with Crypto.com to teach students about some of the fundamental technologies that are shaping the future, including blockchain, cryptocurrency and Web 3.0.
Here’s what we know about the partnership:
- It is a multi-year deal focused on teaching blockchain and emerging technologies to inner-city youth.
- Experts from Crypto.com will teach children about blockchain technology at James’ hometown school I Promise in Akron, Ohio.
- The project will also include educational and workforce development opportunities in emerging technologies for the families of students at I Promise.
In an official statement, James said, “Blockchain technology is revolutionizing our economy, sports and entertainment, the art world, and how we engage with one another…I want to ensure that communities like the one I come from are not left behind.”
Blockchain is the fundamental technology behind cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and the Metaverse — which has been gaining more attention since Facebook announced it was changing its name to Meta.
While James is no stranger to big partnerships, having notched previous deals with Apple, Beats by Dre, and Nike, this is his first deal with a crypto company. That said, in July 2021, he partnered with Nifty Gateway, an NFT Marketplace backed by Dallas Maverick’s owner Mark Cuban, to release 91,000 free Space Jam 2 NFTs.
James is correct in assuming the boom in the NFT market and the evolution of blockchain technology is creating new job opportunities. In 2021, the NFT market exploded to over $25 billion and blockchain-related jobs are populating popular job sites like LinkedIn and Indeed.
For one of League’s most dominant scorers, James has also always been known for keeping his head up and being unselfish. His partnership with Crypto.com shows his vision goes beyond the basketball court, and “King James” isn’t afraid to pass the ball to his community.