Sian Cotton has been best friends with LeBron James since they were children.
“We always talked about putting Akron on the map, literally since we were kids we had this thing where we would look at the map and say ‘Where is Akron? Where is Akron? There is no Akron on this map.’ We would say, ‘One day Akron is going to be on this map.’"
Cotton is currently pursuing a career as a recording artist.
“It gives you that same energy. That natural high that only a few things can give you and to me it is sports and music,” Cotton explained.
In his music, the former Buckeye football player tries to inspire people by encouraging his listeners to aim to be the best and never give up. His message is similar to his best friend’s mantra, “Strive for greatness.”
“He definitely inspires me all the time,” Cotton said of James. “He is a big influence on my life.”
The inspiration and encouragement are a two-way street as Cotton gives LeBron added fuel to get a title.
“We want this championship in Cleveland so bad. I think he knows that. Being from Akron I think he gets that no one gives you a fair shake, everyone expects you to come up short,” Cotton explained.
As Cotton raps in the the studio and LeBron balls out on the court, they’re clearly taking different roads but yet riding along in the same vehicle.
“You have to understand, whatever Bron does reflects on us,” Cotton explained. “It is kind of all tied together, so when he wins I feel like I win too.”
While people across the globe may now know exactly where Cotton, LeBron and the rest of their friends started their journeys, their finals destinations are still very much unknown.
“I think we all still got work to do. I think we all sill have goals we are going to accomplish,” he said. “I think every day we wake up and we go hard.”
