LeBron James – Rise of King James to one of the greatest players of all time

From being the most hyped high school player to one of the greatest NBA players of all time.

LeBron James will go down as one of, if not the best basketball players of all time. LeBron is the greatest all-around player we have ever seen in this league. The King does everything on the basketball court, from playing 1-5, defending 1-5, scoring, assisting, rebounding. He has one of the greatest basketball IQs ever with only Magic Johnson being on his level.

LeBron James grew up in Akron, Ohio. Famously known as the kid from Akron, he was one of the youngest people to grace the cover of sports illustrated and was called ‘The Chosen One’ in the article.  The young LeBron tattooed that on his back, called himself the King, and came into the league with pressure and expectation that we have never seen before.

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Some of it was created by himself. Him calling himself the King, claiming to be the chosen one, etc. But one thing we will never say is that LeBron did not live up to the hype. The Superstar not only lived up to it but even surpassed expectations. As I said, there is never going to be and there never has been a basketball player with more pressure than LeBron.

LeBron has cemented himself as one of the greatest in NBA history and is one of the only people discussed in GOAT debates with Michael Jordan. He has won 4 championships and is the only player with 4 final MVPs with 3 different organizations. He is the leader of a team that created history by coming back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals. He is a 4-time regular season MVP, 3-time All-Star MVP, 18-time All-Star, and 17 time All NBA team member.

With LeBron meeting Michael Jordan at the All-Star game, pictures surfaced of him meeting Michael in high school. It is amazing to have seen the growth of a legend and it comes full circle at the 75th anniversary of the NBA. LeBron is still playing at an extremely high level at the age of 37 in his 19th season. The King is averaging 29.1 points this season and is putting up MVP numbers. While it is going to be difficult for him to lead the Lakers to a championship this year his performance has to be respected. In a couple of years, it may be time for the King to retire and when he does, we will miss him dearly.