LeBron James Explains How New California Law Is 'Personal' to Him

LeBron James explained his connection to California's Fair Pay to Play law and how he understands what the college athletes are dealing with.

Photo by Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images

LeBron James called for support of the new California law that will allow college athletes to be paid for use of their name, image and likeness very early on.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law on James's The Shop and James posted the video on Twitter Monday.

After Lakers practice Monday, he spoke with reporters and explained why this new law was "personal" to him even though he never played in college.

"That '23' jersey would've been sold all over the place without my name on the back ..."

LeBron explains what it would've been like if he went to college, and why the Fair Pay to Play Act is personal to him. (via @mcten) pic.twitter.com/Mmqp8N5EmH

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 30, 2019

"Coming from the ... just from me and my mom we didn't have anything," James said. "We wouldn't have been able to benefit at all from [a college selling a No. 23 jersey, selling out the arena for his games and being in the NCAA basketball video game]. And the university would have been able to capitalize on everything that I would've been there for that year or two or whatever. I understand what those kids are going through. I feel for those kids who've been going through it for so long, so that's why it was personal to me."

Although James is in favor of the new legislation, the Pac-12, NCAA and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey have all spoken against the new law.

The law is set to take effect Jan. 1, 2023.