Students from LeBron’s I PROMISE School are virtual fans at Lakers game (Video)

Students from LeBron James’ school are serving as virtual fans for the Lakers game Wednesday.

LeBron James has made himself into far more than just a basketball player. He is a force both on and off the court and opening his I PROMISE school in Akron, Ohio is arguably his greatest achievement.

James has shared his pride in the staff and students countless times and the relationship continued to pay off in a fun way for both sides Wednesday night. NBA games in the Orlando bubble feature virtual fans shown on a video board and it turns out James had some fans back in Akron cheering him on.

LeBron had students from his school cheering him in in the bubble.

LeBron likely had something to do with this and it is a great gesture considering the uncertainty both teachers and students are facing in terms of returning to school this fall. Something that seems small like this could mean the world to others.

This is also a great use of virtual fans. Some games have featured empty virtual “seats” for teams and others have seen fans who look less than enthused. Getting people who have been personally helped out by James should increase the excitement.

The Lakers are taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder and have already clinched the top seed in the Western Conference. But rust will be a real concern and the Lakers still trotted out a normal starting lineup featuring James.

Doing this is the right move in general and was also a good thing for those from the I PROMISE school who showed up virtually. The staff and students can also tell all their friends they were on national television in an exclusive, closed-to-the-public NBA game. That is something not many people can say.