LeBron James has been selected as this year's recipient of the NAACP Jackie Robinson Sports Award.

"To hear that it was the Jackie Robinson award it just puts a lot of things in perspective," James said. "So appreciative that they would even want me to be a recipient of the award."

The award is given to individuals in sports for their high achievement in athletics and contributions in the pursuit of social justice, civil rights and community involvement.

"It just goes back to what Jackie meant," James said. "Not only playing the game that he played, but what he used that platform to do. To stand up and be the man that he was through those difficult times, for a bigger cause, for guys like myself that can be free and do whatever I want to do in this profession. To be able to walk and talk and say things that matter to me and hope that there is going to be change, he did it at a time where he wasn't even allowed. People said he wasn't allowed to speak up; you're not allowed to stand for what you believe in. You're not allowed because, these are the rules and this is how it was going to be. I just think he had a much bigger calling and obviously like I said I can sit here and be free and play the game I love, to be able to inspire so many people that's going to come after me, so it's a true honor.

"It's a true honor for guys like Jackie and Muhammad to just have that vision, and if they was here today you could sit and talk to them and I guarantee it wasn't about them. It was about everybody that was going to come after them."

James' charitable endeavors include the "Wheels for Education" program and "Akron I PROMISE Network," both of which support inner-city students with the programs, support, and mentors they need all the way through graduation.

In partnership with The University of Akron, James has guaranteed college educations for thousands of Akron Public School students that complete the foundation's programs and meet certain academic and philanthropic criteria.