LeBron James pledges to pay college tuition for 1,000 children in Ohio

Sure, LeBron James is going to go down as one of the greatest basketball players to ever play the game—perhaps even the greatest—but he's also focused on leaving a legacy that extends far beyond the basketball court:

On Thursday LeBron James announced his foundation will pair up with the University of Akron and will fully sponsor more than 1,000 scholarships for children currently in his I Promise program based in Akron, Ohio.

If all the kids complete the program and take him up on the offer, he's going to be writing a lot of checks in the not-too-distant-future:

The LeBron James Family Foundation has been giving a helping hand to children from the third to the seventh grade. James is now extending support for the kids one step further by saying he will cover their tuition costs if they meet the requirements. A year's tuition alone at the University of Akron is around $9,500.

He wants to give these 7th graders more hope for their future:

"I think it's probably one of the best things I've ever been apart of," James said. "This is very special to me. As a kid growing up in the inner city and as an African American kid, you don't really think past high school because it's not possible or your family can't support you. For us to be able to do something like this ... it means so much."

It's just one of the ways the LeBron James Foundation is trying to serve Ohio's children. You can read more about their initiatives here.