Everyone who follows sports knows about LeBron James. The iconic king from the city of Akron, Ohio. The first round pick for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA draft. The transcendent was brought down from the basketball Gods and came soaring into the NBA out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. To some people, LeBron James is considered one of the greatest basketball players to ever live. Personally, I rank James as the greatest of all-time in my book.
LeBron James' career speaks for itself. Some of James' greatest accomplishments while playing basketball include nine NBA finals appearances, four NBA league MVP awards and three NBA championships. The 14-time NBA All-Star recently updated his resumé by moving into the fifth spot among the NBA's all-time scoring list. That was after James scored 44 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists on Nov. 14 against the Portland Trail Blazers. LeBron James replaces Wilt Chamberlain for the fifth spot and now joins an exclusive class with other great players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan.
The chosen one has been so dominant ever since he entered the league. Throughout his career, James has averaged 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.2 assists while shooting 52 percent from the floor according to basketballreference.com. Now in his 16th year in the league, LeBron James has shown no signs of slowing down whatsoever. Sixteen games into the season James' numbers have been right around his career average. As stated by ESPN.com this year LeBron James has averaged 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.6 assists.
Keep in mind that James has achieved these sensational numbers while playing for three teams in the NBA (Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and now the Los Angeles Lakers). King James has put the league on notice that no matter where he goes he is a force to be reckoned with. Growing up watching basketball, I have seen no other player impact a team the way LeBron James does. According to Bleacher Report, it's projected if James remains healthy by retirement he could hold multiple records such as career player efficiency rating, career points, and most playoff points.
I think it's amazing to note that not only is James a sensational athlete but also a great person. James did something truly special when he opened up a public school in his hometown of Akron, Ohio for at-risk students back in July. LeBron James claimed it was one of the greatest moments of his life to open up the school. The project from the LeBron James Family Foundation grants students with free tuition, uniforms, food as well as access to pantries for families, transportation within two miles of the grounds, bicycles with helmets and guaranteed college tuition to graduates at the University of Akron. This is what it means to be more than an athlete.
It's odd to think that at first, I wasn't keen on being a LeBron James fan. For some weird reason, it was hard to pinpoint why I was neutral on James for so many years. When the king returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2014, something changed. Many people try to make a case and argue against James for being nowhere near the all-time greats in the NBA. I think they are being purely ignorant about what this man brings to basketball. I could never hate someone like James. What he does for the game of basketball is sensational, but what he does off the court is even more admirable.
Probably my favorite memory of LeBron James' career is when I watched him bring the city of Cleveland its first NBA title by overcoming a 3-1 lead against the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA finals. James captured his third championship as the Cleveland Cavaliers became the only team in NBA history to win a championship after being in a 3-1 deficit. This only adds to James' numerous accolades among the NBA record books.
I'm proud to say that LeBron James is one of my biggest idols and favorite athletes ever. I consider James the greatest of all-time based on both as a player and a person. Time will tell how much James has left in the tank before his glory days are over.
