LeBron James Says We Don’t Need More Athletes, Encourages Young People To Pursue STEM Careers

LeBron James wants see more young people striving to become doctors, and engineers, and less professional athletes. The Cleveland Cavaliers forward is encouraging jobs in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and other fields, for Verizon’s new #WeNeedMore campaign.

The new ad spot, which debuts during the NCAA Men’s Final Four Championship this weekend, features James, along with NFL player Drew Brees, and model Adriana Lima.

 

Following the same sentiments as the ad, James declared “We don’t need more Lebrons,” in a lengthy Instagram post.

“We need more physical therapists, scientists, police officers, teachers, doctors, professors, physicists, computer engineers, etc!! I want every kid to know there is absolutely NO LIMIT to what you can be,” James wrote Saturday (April 1). “The teacher/accountant/scientist/[doctor]/etc is just as talented as any athlete, if not more.”

The 32-year-old NBA star continued, “I can’t even begin to tell you guys how many incredible men [and] women I work with who have never seen the court but are just as vital to our success as I am. There’s no way my game is what it is without them. Open your heart & mind to the world around you. See the possible. Dream big.”

The goal of #WeNeedMore is to potentially help fill the more than nine million job available in STEM fields. The campaign calls attention to millions of students around the U.S., particularly those in “underserved minority communities,” who lack technology in schools, and exposure to STEM careers.

For its part, Verizon has committed $160 million to provide free tech-access and “hands-on learning” to some 300,000 students and 7,400 teachers nationwide.

Peep James’s full post below.

We don’t need more LeBron’s, we need more physical therapists, scientists, police officers, teachers, doctors, professors, physicists, computer engineers, etc!! I want every kid to know there is absolutely NO LIMIT to what you can be. Your dreams are there for you to EARN. The teacher/accountant/scientist/dr/etc is just as talented as any athlete, if not more. I can’t even begin to tell you guys how many incredible men & women I work with who have never seen the court but are just as vital to our success as I am. There’s no way my game is what it is without them. Open your heart & mind to the world around you. See the possible. Dream big. Then work your tail off and chase it. s/o to everyone involved in #weneedmore. #striveforgreatness #earnednotgiven

A post shared by LeBron James (@kingjames) on Apr 1, 2017 at 8:22am PDT