The King Without a Crown
A dive into LeBron’s career before his first NBA championship
King James. The L-Train. The Akron Hammer. One of the greatest players, if not the greatest, to ever play the beautiful game of basketball. The man who easily broke the scoring record, won 4 NBA championships, competed in 10 NBA Finals, won 4 MVP awards, 2 Olympic gold medals, and has been named an All-Star 19 times. Despite all these accomplishments, his life wasn’t always “the greatest.”
LeBron Raymone James was born on December 30, 1984, raised in a broken household in Akron, Ohio. LeBron’s childhood was surrounded by poverty and street violence, causing him to move from place to place. LeBron grew up in a home where only his mother, Gloria James, was present. With limited money, LeBron and his mother sometimes could not find transportation, or worse, put decent food on the table. Thankfully, LeBron’s coach, Frankie Walker, took action towards LeBron and his mother’s situation, by allowing LeBron to stay with Frankie until his mother was able to get back on her feet.
In 2001, LeBron began playing for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. Off the jump, LeBron became the team’s star player. In 2002, LeBron’s team was the first ever high school team to play live on ESPN, playing Oak Hill Academy. LeBron helped his team win three state championships while also being recognized nationally as one of the top high school players in the country. LeBron’s talents were unmatched and were noticed by many NBA scouts leading to LeBron skipping college and entering the NBA Draft.
In 2003, LeBron was the first pick in the NBA Draft and was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Before joining the team, the Cavaliers were a team that had no hope of winning, with a daunting record of 17–65. After joining the team, LeBron changed that. His rookie year, he was dominating. Averaging 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.9 blocks, and winning Rookie of the Year. Playing with his new team, LeBron created a strong impact with the Cavaliers, leading them to the playoffs multiple times, but he was unable to win a championship.
In 2010, LeBron’s desire to win the NBA championship resulted in him making ‘The Decision,’ leaving his hometown Cleveland, to pursue a career in South Beach, with the Miami Heat. This decision left fans disappointed, outraged, and saddened. Fans burned his jersey in the streets, took down his posters, and even vandalized his personal property.
In Miami, LeBron teamed up with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, becoming known as the “big three.” With this team, everyone in the country set high expectations for LeBron, and his fans in Cleveland… were furious. The Heat as a team were off to a great start and LeBron was once again putting up amazing stats; Averaging 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.6 blocks, and was even named MVP. LeBron and his new team were dominating the league until they made it to the NBA Finals. The matchup was the Heat against the Dallas Mavericks. For the first 3 games, LeBron and his team were doing well until Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks overpowered the Heat, leading to a devastating 2–4 loss.
This loss was LeBron’s sign to fight back harder the next year. In 2012, the Heat were off to another great start, with a record of 46–20. LeBron himself was also putting up groundbreaking stats. Averaging 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.8 blocks, and winning another MVP award for the season. For the second time, LeBron and the Heat had no competition in the league, making it to the playoffs, and to the finals. This was their second chance into the finals… and they had to make it count. Matching up against the Oklahoma City Thunders, the Heat won the first game. But in the second game, OKC was trying to leave a mark, winning the game. This is when LeBron knew he had to lock in. He put on his game face and won the next 3 games, officially becoming an NBA champion.
In the end, leaving his hometown was both difficult for Cleveland and LeBron himself. Teaming up with two phenomenal players, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, this dynamic trio proved his critics wrong by bringing the Heat to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances and ultimately won two championships. Back in Cleveland, LeBron felt that he had unfinished business. Making a promise to his fans, LeBron went back to the Cavaliers and brought the championship back to his hometown.
