LeBron James Explains Why He Won't Let His Kids Play Football

LeBron James says his two sons, who are seven and 10 years old, aren't allowed to play football until high school.

He explained to ESPN's Chris Broussard on Thursday that it's both a safety issue and a class issue.

From ESPN:

"We don't want them to play in our household right now until they understand how physical and how demanding the game is. Then they can have their choice in high school, we'll talk over it. But right now there's no need for it. There's enough sports they can play. They play basketball, they play soccer, they play everything else but football and hockey."

"It's a safety thing. As a parent you protect your kids as much as possible. I don't think I'm the only one that's not allowing his kids to play football, it's just that I'm LeBron James and it gets put in the headlines for no reason."

LeBron was one of the best football players in Ohio in high school. When asked about why he won't let his sons play even though he played, he said he was trying to escape poverty:

"I needed a way out. My kids don't need a way out. They're all right. I needed a way out when I was a kid. I tried to do whatever it took to get out. That's my excuse."

Before quitting football to focus on basketball before his senior season in 2002, LeBron got a scholarship offer from Notre Dame and was an all-state wide receiver.

LeBron grew up poor in Akron. He missed 100 days of school in fourth grade because he lacked a stable home environment. He now makes around $33 million per year.