'The best thing I've ever done' LeBron James' I Promise school students get free tuition for 4 years at Kent State

AKRON, OH -- Now in his 17th season in the NBA, LeBron James' influence off the court keeps expanding. Especially in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.

Students from James' I Promise school in Akron will get free tuition at Kent State University, his foundation announced Wednesday.

Kent State is giving juniors at James' I Promise School free tuition and a year of free room and board along with a meal plan. The LeBron James Family Foundation announced that it would award free tuition for eligible students for the school's inaugural graduating class.

The junior class consists of 193 students. The program stemmed from a partnership between Kent State and the foundation where students attended summer enrichment programs at KSU.

"I just know that so many kids in my community just don't have many options," James told reporters after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets in overtime. "For me to be able to be in a position to give these kids options to decide what they want to do with their future, it's probably the best thing I've ever done."

I Promise School is a public school supported by James' foundation that opened in 2018.