Arnold Schwarzenegger says he contacted NBA star LeBron James about his help with child labor

“I know LeBron … not just the guy you see on TV playing the game … but the character of the guy,” Schwarzenegger told the news.

Ladder Arnold Schwarzenegger founders LeBron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger are two of the world’s most accomplished athletes. Still, Schwarzenegger said that their bond stems from a shared commitment to philanthropy, not their physical accomplishments.

“I knew LeBron… not just the guy you see on TV playing the game… but the guy character,” Schwarzenegger told the news.

Schwarzenegger said his relationship with sports nutrition brand co-founder James, 37, began when the NBA star began participating in fundraisers for his Arnold’s All-Stars organization.

“I, like millions of Americans, was a huge basketball fan. [And] LeBron suddenly came to our fundraising event,” said Schwarzenegger, who founded the organization in 2003.

Arnold’s All-Stars offers academic and athletic programs for underprivileged students, and James’ early support impressed Schwarzenegger and gave the organization the boost it needed.

“As my mother-in-law [Eunice Kennedy] said: Special Olympics is a great idea, but if you don’t have money, there’s nothing you can do. So we always had to raise money, and she was right. So when I started my organization, we had to do that.”

According to Schwarzenegger, the co-founder of Ladder “wanted to give back to the community, reach out to kids, especially kids in town, and give them the same kind of help that he gets.”

James opened him I Promise School in 2018, vulnerable students in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.

Eventually, “the two athletes started talking about supplements,” says Schwarzenegger, and in 2019 he and James formed Ladder.

Schwarzenegger told PEOPLE that James’ commitment to transparency was part of the motivation behind Ladder. “Why I’m interested in LeBron is because LeBron can’t afford to have any protein or supplements that can increase it, some types of drugs,” says Schwarzenegger, “many companies” are not transparent.