The King James Edition
Posted by admin on July 25th, 2007
Three years ago, before he’d played a single official NBA game, a 19-year-old Cleveland Cavalier rookie named LeBron James stood on the famed parquet floor of Boston’s TD BankNorth Garden, slowly bouncing a basketball in his massive hands, and looked at the 16 NBA championship banners hanging from the rafters. “I need to get a couple of those,” he said, almost whimsically.
He appears to be on his way. Almost single-handedly, James has put the Cavs on his muscular shoulders and brought them first respectability, and then to the playoffs. Last year, the young Cavs battled the defending champion Detroit Pistons tooth and nail before losing in the NBA quarterfinals. (Continental is the official airline of the Cleveland Cavaliers.)
Today, as James embarks on his fourth professional season, the 6-foot-8, 250-pound forward is a man in full. James possesses a new three-year, $60 million contract extension, adding on to a resume that includes two All-Star team selections and a spot on the U.S. national team. Now, he wants titles.
“Very few players get to experience a championship at all, in any city,” the Akron, Ohio, native says. “To be able to bring a championship to a city like Cleveland that hasn’t had one in so long, and to be able to do it right in my backyard with my family and my friends here, there’s no question it would be one of the most special highlights in my life so far, and for the fans too.”
To get a better idea of what James has already accomplished, consider the man he’s most often compared to, another No. 23 and by consensus the greatest player ever, Michael Jordan. At James’ age, Jordan was capping off a terrific college career at the University of North Carolina. Last year, James, in his third NBA season after being drafted first overall right out of high school, led the Cavs in scoring (31.4 points per game), rebounding (7.0 per game), and assists (6.6 per game).
“I don’t see any limitations when it comes to Lebron,” says Cavs head coach Mike Brown. “By the time he’s done playing, he’s going to be a Hall of Famer. He’s going to have many individ-ual awards and team awards. And off the floor, he’s going to be his own brand, similar to what [Jordan] is, if not bigger.”
Brown knows exactly how important a single, level-headed superstar can be to a team. He was an assistant coach in San Antonio when a quiet rookie named Tim Duncan ignited the Spurs, eventually leading them to three NBA championships.
“The day [Tim] got there, he turned the franchise around,” says Brown. “That’s similar to what LeBron has done. When you think of San Antonio, you think of Tim Duncan, even though they had other great players, like David Robinson. And when you think of Cleveland basketball, you think of LeBron James. He’s at a stage right now where he’s going to do things like Tim.”
Perhaps even more frightening for opponents is James’ almost insatiable desire to improve. This past summer, he played in the world championships for Team USA and was used as a point forward by Team USA Coach Mike Krzyzewski because of his sublime, but underrated, passing skills.
“He sees many things that other people don’t,” says Krzyzewski, who is head coach at Duke University. “He’s a quick learner, and his intelligence is an aspect of his game and personality that not a lot of people discuss. I was supremely impressed with that.”
James’ skill at distributing the ball and getting his teammates involved is reminiscent of another superlative talent, Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. Johnson’s trophy case, with five NBA championships, an Olympic gold medal, and three MVP awards, would suit James just fine. “I think we can win it all,” James says with his trademark quiet confidence. “We are one of the premier teams of the league. It’s not about us trying to chase anyone; it’s about everyone trying to chase us. We have to know that.”
LeBron James has served notice.