The Ohio State football and basketball programs have fans not just all over Ohio, but all over the country. Ohio State's fan base stretches far and wide. It also has a lot of famous people who are alumni and some who are just fans of the football and basketball programs.
Perhaps the most famous fan that the Ohio State Buckeyes have is LeBron James. James grew up in Akron and has long been a Buckeye. He never attended Ohio State because he decided to go straight to the NBA from high school, as it was still allowed for him to do so at the time.
James has said multiple times that had he gone to college, he would have attended the Ohio State University. He has donated shoes, headphones, and numerous other gifts to both the basketball and football programs. Now, Ohio State is rewarding him.
LeBron James is getting an honorary doctorate degree from Ohio State
According to Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch, James will be getting an honorary doctorate from the university. That makes sense, considering how big a fan James is of everything Ohio State. This is despite the fact that his son, Bronny, picked USC over Ohio State.
The Buckeyes have certainly benefited from James's association with the university. He has helped the Buckeyes get a wider reach than ever before, although Ohio State is a global brand already, so they don't need much help in that regard.
James will now finally get a college degree from Ohio State. He clearly made the right decision to go straight to the NBA from high school. It was the right financial decision for him and his family, and it obviously worked out for his career. He is happy with those decisions.
Ohio State will certainly use this to their recruiting advantage now that he will officially be an alumnus.