Cavaliers can count on support from 200-strong LeBron James Grandmothers’ Fan Club at NBA finals

LeBron James has led the Cavaliers to the NBA finals in his first season back in Cleveland. Gregory Shamus / Getty

“There is nothing like a grandmother’s love,” says Alder Chapman. “It’s an unconditional love.”

LeBron James can vouch for that.

When the Cleveland Cavaliers star is introduced ahead of Game 1 in the NBA finals on Thursday, he can count on the support of his own grandmother, as well as that of 200 members of the LeBron James Grandmothers’ Fan Club, back in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.

Chapman, 75, found the club in 2004 with friends who shared a common bond: an affection for James. “We love him,” she told ESPN.com. “He just feels like one of ours.”

The group not only supports Akron’s most famous son, they volunteer at his charity events.

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“If you want to see a real Cavs fan, come to one of our game watches,” said Chapman, who has six grandchildren of her own.

“LeBron loyalty” runs deep in the fan club. Many of its members have followed James since his playing days at St Vincent-St Mary High School.

“We used to live in the same complex,” Gertrude Robinson said. “I’m just so proud of him. He’s just magnificent.”

When James announced in 2010 he was leaving nearby Cleveland for Miami, many of the grandmothers became Heat fans overnight. Now that he is back in Cleveland, the grandmothers couldn’t be happier.

One of the best parts is being able to watch all of his games on television, says Illona Aleman.

“When the Cavs are on, nothing else is important,” she said. “He makes it so much fun. I don’t watch any other sport. And if he doesn’t play I don’t even watch the rest of the game.”

Cavs games hold special meaning for Aleman. In 2008, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent chemotherapy. She says one of the things that kept her going was watching James play on TV.

“Without those games, it would have been a sad time, but I don’t remember it as sad because of the games and the way he smiled and brought life to me,” she said. “During my cancer treatment, my husband was my hero, but my husband just doesn’t smile like LeBron does.”

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