James: My mom was only 16 when she had me. My motivation is to buy her a house with a pantry.

On March 6th Beijing time, in the latest episode of the podcast "Mind The Game," James once again discussed his childhood and the experience of being raised by a single mother who had just graduated from high school. He also shared an interesting story from his high school years, which became one of the most important driving forces in his basketball journey:

"I truly had nothing. I grew up in a single-parent household, an only child. My mother was only 16 when she had me; she was still a sophomore in high school when she became pregnant. She didn't have a formal job, yet she worked tirelessly every day.

As I grew older—around five, six, seven, eight years old—my only thought was: I must not add any extra pressure to this Black mother in the projects. I really couldn't bear to.

That desire to climb higher, in turn, became an even greater motivation for me—I wanted to do everything I could to escape the fate that seemed preordained for me and my mother.

My brothers and I often talk about this: I didn't know what a pantry was until my freshman year of high school.

I went to my high school coach Dambrot's house and asked him if I could have a snack.

He said, 'Sure, go to the pantry.'

I thought to myself: What on earth is a pantry?

Where I grew up, everything was stacked on top of the refrigerator: bread, chips, cereal—everything was there. I had no idea what a pantry was.

So you see, that became my motivation—I absolutely must buy my mom a house with a pantry."

For over two decades, James has been the most prominent name in the basketball world. He rose to fame as early as his high school years. In Akron, Ohio, he was crowned "The Chosen One" before even turning 18.

Since then, he has largely surpassed the immense expectations placed upon him, becoming one of the undisputed greatest players in basketball history. All of this drive stems from his mother—the young single mom who raised him alone in Ohio. LeBron has never shied away from discussing his upbringing and everything his mother sacrificed to raise him.

One of the most admirable things about James is: despite his unparalleled fame and success, he has almost never been involved in negative scandals. There is rarely any off-court controversy about him; he remains truly focused on basketball, and on being a good son, husband, and father.