Gloria James, the mother of LeBron James, identifies as the “Mother of the King” with pride and even had the phrase “Queen James” tattooed on her body.

Beyond being the mother of the NBA icon, though, she maintains her modesty.

Gloria said in a Q&A with pupils from LeBron’s I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, “I’m very simple and down to earth.” So please don’t hesitate to ask for anything—a hug, a shoulder to weep on, or an ear to talk into. We are a large, content family.”

Gloria, LeBron’s single mother, is still a vital part of both his personal and professional lives and frequently supports him at events and games. The NBA player gives her credit for helping him achieve his current level of accomplishment.

“I don’t know if she read about it or just heard about it, but from day one, I always had that mother and father inside my mother, so I never was a kid that was kind of like, ‘Where is my father?'” LeBron remarked in a 2014 interview with Maria Shriver for Today.

He went on, “I don’t know where she got it from, but she gave me strength to the point that I never even had to think about that. She’s undoubtedly the winner, yet even now I won’t even ask her.”

Learn about Gloria James, the adored champion and mother of LeBron James.

At 16, she gave birth to LeBron, whom she reared by herself.

Curt and Terry James are Gloria Marie James’s two brothers. She was born on February 4, 1968, in Akron, Ohio.

LeBron never had a relationship with his real father, and she gave birth to him when she was sixteen, according to Sports Illustrated. LeBron remembered this in a 2014 essay he wrote for Today. Gloria got some assistance raising LeBron early on from her own mother, LeBron’s grandmother, Freda James Howard.

But when LeBron was three years old in 1987, Howard passed away on Christmas Day. At that time, Gloria was mostly by herself and had to support her son while still making ends meet with her two brothers.

LeBron and Gloria moved seven times before he was five years old, so it wasn’t easy. When Gloria and her brothers were unable to pay their heating payment, LeBron was placed in foster care for a brief period of time and missed 82 days of school.

“Just how much responsibility comes with being a single mom every single day, you don’t have that other half or that helping male influence in the house that can—especially in my case, being a son—give you that fatherly love or that fatherly guidance,'” LeBron said to Shriver. “My mother figured [that] out.”

She didn’t push LeBron to become an NBA star

Gloria has always been LeBron’s strongest supporter; according to ESPN, his youth football coach once remembers her jumping up and down the sidelines every time he scored a touchdown. However, she never encouraged him to become a professional athlete.

LeBron, then 16 years old and a junior in high school in Akron, Ohio, was featured in a 2001 New York Times article where Gloria was called “an enthusiastic fan” of her son. She told the magazine that although she was proud of his accomplishments, she wouldn’t put any pressure on LeBron to become a household name in the NBA.

“I want LeBron to be happy,” I said. He is a huge hoops fan,” she remarked. However, at the very least, I would like to see him graduate from high school with his class. However, we’ll decide when the moment is right.”

LeBron was always well-mannered and kind, she said, saying, “He’s a level-headed boy.” He has never caused me any trouble at all.”

An SUV she gifted LeBron came under scrutiny

In December 2002, Gloria gave LeBron a Hummer for his 18th birthday, which included TVs and computer game hookups. But because LeBron and Gloria were residing in public housing in Akron at the time of the purchase, it raised suspicions and prompted an investigation, according to the New York Times.

High school athletes risk losing their “amateur” status if they “capitalize on athletic fame by receiving money or gifts of monetary value,” as per the standards set forth by the Ohio High School Sports Association. LeBron might have had to forfeit his amateur status if it turned out that Gloria, who claimed to have financed the Hummer with a $50,000 auto loan, had given LeBron the vehicle as anything more than a sincere present. Gloria remained silent about the SUV gift at the time, even though LeBron was exonerated following a two-week inquiry by the Ohio High School Athletic Association commissioner.

She helps run the LeBron James Family Foundation

Gloria serves as vice president of the LeBron James Family Foundation, an organization that aims to help underprivileged kids in the Akron, Ohio, region—where LeBron was raised. One of the foundation’s most notable accomplishments is the I Promise School, an at-risk children’s public school located in Akron. LeBron attributes the I Promise School’s inception to Gloria, citing her tireless efforts to provide him with a stable upbringing during their difficult times.

“There would be no school if it weren’t for my mother and the way she raised me,” LeBron declared in an April 2020 Family Foundation video honoring Gloria. “Without Gloria James, there would be no IPS. I got the tools from her. I got the blueprint from her. She provided me with life skills, so I just went back to everything my mother had taught me when it came time for me and our team to put something like this together.”

She’s a grandmother

Gloria became a grandma to LeBron “Bronny” James Jr., Bryce Maximus, and Zhuri Nova when he and his wife, Savannah James, created a family of their own.

Gloria has a close relationship with her grandchildren and frequently posts pictures of them on Instagram. She regularly shares praise for Bronny and Bryce’s achievements on social media and goes to their basketball games.

“I treasure every second of seeing my grandsons develop into mature young men both on and off the court. She shared pictures of herself with her grandchildren at their games in an April 2022 post. “I’m so proud, and I love you both very much, @bronny and @_justbryce!! ❤️,” she said.

Over the years, she and Zhuri have also experienced many wonderful experiences together, such as visits to Disneyland and Universal Studios.

LeBron missed her most during quarantine

LeBron’s main challenge during the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak was social separation while being apart from Gloria. LeBron stated at a July 2020 press conference, “It’s the first time in my life that I went that long without seeing my mom,” and that being with Gloria was “the only thing that [he] really missed.”

“I hadn’t seen my mom since All-Star weekend, and then I saw her two weeks or three weeks before we had to report to our respective cities,” he said. “That was extreme for me.”

LeBron added that Gloria’s upbeat demeanor gave him confidence to get through the pandemic’s quarantine phase and that they would reunite “in due time.”

She was the first person LeBron called after winning the 2020 NBA Championships

LeBron FaceTimed Gloria right away to celebrate his fourth NBA championship with the Lakers in October 2020.

“Everything that you have been through, everything that I’ve seen, it’s nothing that can stop me, because this s— right here, this is nothing compared to the s— you had to go through,” LeBron can be heard saying to Gloria in a video that went viral on Twitter. He is seated on the floor. “God is wonderful and good. I hope I can still make your mother proud, mom.”