LeBron James Does Not Live in the Past
By Donald Christopher
May 31, 2007

You knew it had to happen one day. The precise moment when the powerful professional sports triad of Big Hype, Big Money, and Big Talent would catch up to one another. That exact point in time when the three celebrated entities would become perfectly aligned to produce The Chosen One.


LeBron James now bears the torch of NBA greatness.
You knew it had to occur eventually. The highly-publicized ceremony where the NBA would feverishly roll out its red carpet for that someone to lead the hoop league into its immediate future. And with multi-million dollar endorsement deals awaiting his signature, that someone would actually have the basketball skills to back up such acclaim.

Sooner or later, you knew that someone would enter through the doors opened by the blood, sweat, and tears of famed NBA players beforehand. But not just anyone; these splendid sneakers could only be worn by someone fit to be king. As in LeBron "King" James.

Big Hype
Some observers insist that LeBron is the next Michael Jordan. Others say, no; the kid has the versatility of Earvin "Magic" Johnson plus vertical leap written all over him. Then there are a few who insist LeBron is a triple-double threat every time he walks onto a court in the the spirit of the great Larry Bird. As far as Big Hype is concerned, it really doesn't matter which icon his game resembles. Any will do. How about a cross between Michael and Magic? Perfect!

LeBron didn't go looking for the excessive publicity; it came looking for him. As a kid, he was just like any of the significantly talented basketball youth who emulated the moves and mannerisms of their favorite players. With their dreamy eyes and innocent minds filled with visions of screaming crowds as they mentally sank yet another game-winning basket, they had few ideals, if any, that, at the same time, Big Hype was somewhere buzzing about the revenue-generating crowds these young gifted players attracted like honey. As far as what each authority represents to the other, the powers that be fantasized about talented youth just as much as these youngsters dreamed about promotion.

Born December 30, 1984, no teenager has ever garnered the intense publicity that Bron Bron did. Before 11th grade, he participated in impressive workouts against NBA players. Everyone from A to Z had their attention patiently focused on the young man from Akron, Ohio who everyone, including current and past generations of NBA Hall of Famers, proclaimed the kid to be an archetype for the ideas, aspirations, hopes and dreams of how far the game had come and the direction in which it was promisingly headed. LeBron's time on stage, due to his enormous talent, exceeded the normal allotment given to other high school All-Americans which subsequently began to draw even more curious onlookers, thus creating a somewhat circus-like atmosphere.

"I wanted to take a look," NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal says. "Every No. 1 high school player gets that hype. Marcus Liberty got that hype back in my day. Where is Marcus liberty now?"

Former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach John Lucas, who had worked out Kobe Bryant in high school and had longed to see LeBron, said, "I kept hearing he was better than Kobe. So I went to see him play at an AAU tournament and stayed 11 hours. Stayed 11 hours looking for a weakness."

Throughout the ensuing commotion and inevitable burnout from the increased buildup, it was highly unlikely that any player could live up to such a larger-than-life billing. But LeBron, the first three-time Ohio Mr. Basketball winner, did just that. As more and more microscopic eyes began to focus upon the man-child wearing jersey number 23 for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, hardly anyone was left disappointed by what they witnessed. It slowly became apparent to everyone that basketball greatness was truly upon us. "Y'all got me famous, but you know, I make myself famous out there. I worked hard, I put in every hour to get myself better," stated LeBron.

Big Money
Big-time college programs routinely begin to court talented high school prospects upon their graduation day. But with LeBron, a player who made the unheard of and unsuccessful attempt at declaring for the NBA Draft during his junior year, his smiling face had already begun to appear on the cover of prominent sports magazines such as Sports Illustrated. Nicknamed "King," there was no need for college recruiters to show up at his door step. Especially since ESPN and pay-per-view were broadcasting his games. During this elaborate exposure, it was clear to everyone that the next stop for this high school phenom would be the Big Money of the National Basketball Association. This badly kept secret became official after LeBron accepted two throwback jerseys in exchange for autograph and pictures of him which officially terminated his allocated NCAA eligibilty.

Unlike me, if you're wondering whatever happened to pure innocence and LeBron simply being overwhelmed by all the received attention...oh, that was thrown out the window a long, long time ago. It happened somewhere between his father -- poor guy -- walking out of infant LeBron's life and having to then watch his outspoken mother, Gloria James, always financially struggle to keep food on their table and a roof over his head, to eventually realizing that his superior gift of putting a round, leather ball inside of a orange-colored metal rim would be his Big Ticket that would get him any and everything he readily desired.

As he awaited his name to be called on Draft Night, Gloria used her son's future earning power to secure her son an expensive Hummer sport utility vehicle for his 18th birthday. With seemingly the entire world watching, LeBron, whose high school jersey sat in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, was clearly on an entirely different level than we ever witnessed before. And similar to so many of today's generation of youth who grow up in a one-parent low income home, he made it absolutely clear to everyone that Big Money was indeed a factor. He is well aware of that this is the nature of the business. Although, it is not the meaning of the business...it is the power and relentess influence that sports now has upon the world. And more importantly, his mother didn't raise no fool. LeBron's high school record was 101-6 with three state titles.

"In the next 15 or 20 years, I hope I'll be the richest man in the world. That's one of my goals. I want to be a billionaire. I want to get to a position where generation upon generation don't have to worry about nothing. I don't want family members from my kids to my son's kids to never have to worry. And I can do that now just playing basketball," LeBron James emphatically stated.

Nike showed LeBron, 2003 Naismith Prep Player of the Year, the money when he inked King James to a seven year, $90 million dollar shoe endorsement deal before his name was added to an NBA roster.

Big Talent

The hometown Cleveland Cavaliers won the the NBA lottery, and therefore the right to select LeBron with the first overall pick in the famed 2003 NBA Draft. The wait was finally over. The total package had arrived. Many basketball purists wondered whether the kid possessed the innate ability to justify the Big Hype and Big Money being commanded and handed over at such an early age. They questioned his ability to dominate at the pro level where the players were just as big, strong, and skilled as the 6' 8", 225 pound forward LeBron. But as the royal beholder of a poise never before seen at his immediate age, along with great ballhandling, excellent court vision, and an exceptional ability to attack the basket, LeBron throughly impressed even the most pessimistic hoop fan. In his first year, he averaged 20.9 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game. Due to these incredible numbers, he was selected to the NBA All-Star Game, became the youngest player to record a triple-double, and was named the NBA's Rookie of The Year. With LeBron aboard, the Cavs failed to make the playoffs, but improved their regular season record from 17-65 the previous year to 35-47. Already a household name, the enormous popularity of LeBron helped Cleveland's Gund Arena set unprecented attendance records while his Cavs jersey was among the the top in NBA sales.

"I will guarantee we'll get better every day," James assured Cavaliers fans, who celebrated James coming to their city as if they had just won a championship. "I just want to win."

The only clear weakness is LeBron's game is his lack of defense. But even that is somewhat understandable. As a highly-decorated high school player simutaneously capable of being a starter on all 30 NBA teams, there was nothing to remotely offer any urgency towards becoming great defensively. Besides, exactly who attends prep games to watch one kid immobilize another? Not I. As his pro career continues to develop, LeBron's defense should improve as well.

But honestly, can the kid really be better than the legendary NBA triad of Michael, Magic, and Larry Legend? Well, that depends on how one defines the term better. In terms of championship rings, LeBron's fingers are still bare. But once Cavs brass surrounds him with his fair share of Scottie Pippens, Horace Grants, Dennis Rodmans, Kareem Abdul-Jabbars, James Worthys, Kevin McHales, and Dennis Johnsons, who wants to bet their life that LeBron's resume doesn't list more than a few NBA championships to his credit? Again, not I. In terms of natural basketball aptitude, LeBron can do it all on the court: shoot, pass, dribble, rebound, and play defense at a high level (when he wants to) with the best of them. As far as numbers go, in just his third year, he is on course to shatter individual league records like no other player in the game today. Judging by these observations, I would say that LeBron definitely has what it takes to become better than the great players whose fruits of labor LeBron thoroughly benefits from.

LeBron James is the quintessential future of the NBA. Eventually, you had to have known the very moment would occur in which everything would literally come together. You knew the point would take place where the appreciated past would suddenly become the granted and blessed future. LeBron is that future. He does not live in the past. He exclusively carries the torch handed to him through the doors opened by the Big Hype, Big Money, and Big Talent of past Hall of Fame players such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird who each carried torches up until the moment arrived where they passed along the historical piece.

LeBron James now is the beholder of that torch. In all my years, I have never known a torch to be carried backwards.

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