LeBron James Practices With Women's Basketball Players During 'Strive For Greatness' Tour

Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James held a basketball clinic with local professional women's basketball players in Manila Metro during his Nike-sponsored "Strive for Greatness" tour. He practiced with the players Saturday at the Kerry Sports Gym in Taguig City.

James played for a few minutes during the showcase and captivated fans with acrobatic dunks and air-piercing passes. He took questions from reporters and even trained with them during a closed-off session. This session was James' third stop in the Phillipenes over the weekend.

James took to social media and posted a group photo with the woman’s basketball players. Nike Philippines, the event’s main organizer, gathered 22 women from local teams Lady Maroon Patricia Pesquera and Lady Eagle Jollina Go for Saturday’s event.

"Love you girls!! Keep #StriveForGreatness #LeBronAsiaTour2017," James captioned the Instagram photo.

In videos posted to Twitter, James is seen practicing with the players. The women divided themselves into two teams for drills and challenges with James. The players hoped to participate in a one-on-one challenge with James after the drills but time ran out. The Cavaliers star ended up giving a speech to the women instead, where he expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to meet the players.

Lebron working out with female ballers @abscbnsports @ABSCBNNews pic.twitter.com/AM1QK9uGPn

— Migs Bustos (@migsbustos) September 2, 2017

The King working on his threes @ABSCBNNews @abscbnsports pic.twitter.com/eozSii65Wx

— Migs Bustos (@migsbustos) September 2, 2017

In an interview with ABS-CBN Sports + Action after the training session, James explained his admiration for women’s basketball. He said he was a fan of the WNBA since he was a child and shared that he often watched WNBA legends Chamique Holdsclaw and Sheryl Swoopes on television.

"Now, just watching Diana Taurasi and watching Sue Bird, watching Elena Delle Donne, just to name a few – those are some great inspirations," James told Sports + Action. "Those are some great players who will inspire the next female baller that will come up and play, so I appreciate what they do."

James explained how much he admires basketball and that he enjoyed watching the game regardless of who was playing it.

"I love the game of basketball," he said. "So it doesn't matter if you're a male or a female (player). I love to watch the game of basketball."

The NBA All-Star grew up without his father and explained how strong his mother had to be while rasing him. He also credited the women in his life, explaining that they helped contribute to his overall success.

"She's the true definition of what it means to be a woman," James said of his mother, Gloria.

He added: "I got so many women in my corner who just give me a lot of strength. To incorporate my wife and my daughter, they give me so much energy to just go out and play for them. I use their passion and their energy every single day, it’s great to have those three women, along with my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law as well, giving me that passion."