Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
MIAMI â€" Frankie Walker wasn't fond of LeBron James at first. It was James, the "huge, hulking kid," who dashed Walker's dream of starting at running back on their peewee team in Akron, Ohio. Eventually, however, Walker became part of what James calls La Familia, people he considers incredibly important to his life, regardless of blood relation.
And so, when speaking of James' ongoing transition to South Florida, it's worth noting how some of his Akron support system has relocated south. Walker's migration is particularly notable because of their partnership in Unknwn, an upscale urban shoe and apparel store in the bustling Aventura Mall.
Their business collaboration is the extension of one of James' most critical childhood relationships.
"Huge," James said.
After James' grandmother died, he moved with his mother several times and missed dozens of days of school. Frankie's parents, Frank and Pam, stepped in.
"I spent Christmas with them every single year, up until I was in high school," James said. "They fed me every day. They gave me chores, too. They gave me responsibility and structure and stability when my mother, she was always trying to find a living."
Frank Walker, a coach as well as an Akron Housing Authority employee, "put a basketball in my hand, and that's when it all started," James added.
It was only natural that when Frankie expressed his ambition, early in 2010, to open a lifestyle store, James deemed unconditional support "the least I could do." They were signing a lease for an Akron location when James signed with the Heat.
"We had a conversation, maybe it's time for you to make a change, too, and get out of the city, and make a living for yourself," James said. "If you have a passion for it, it's time for you to grow up."
So Frankie scouted spots, moving to Miami in April 2011. James attended the December opening but, because of the compressed NBA schedule, hasn't had a chance to come by since then. Still, during the past several months, Frankie has spent plenty of time with James, and his presence has been a positive.
Frankie, more than anyone, understands James' initial discomfort, since he has been in the same situation - away from his family for the first time, appreciating Akron more than he envisioned.
"It's not like last year he was unhappy," Frankie said. "He was just unsure about a lot of things. He didn't have the same comfortable aura he has at home."
This year?
"I pretty much know when he is in a terrible mood," Frankie said. "We are having a lot less of those conversations."
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