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LeBron James and David Stern
© Brett Hansbauer and Robert Deutsch – USA TODAY Sports
Greatness comes in many forms, and in the world of basketball, one of those forms is LeBron James. In all fairness, this is somewhat true, as his NBA accolades speak for themselves. However, what some of us forget, James already proved that he is a generational talent way before he entered the league.
Destined for greatness
Taking a quick trip down memory lane, James’ high school resume made him the all-time smartest in that category. As a freshman at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, LeBron stunningly led the team to a clear state title. He picked up where he left off the following year by repeating the Division III title and the Division II title in 2003.
James was named the National Player of the Year in his junior year and entered his senior year as the most highly regarded basketball prospect of his generation. Once again, “The Kid From Akron” did not fail to deliver and finished his high school career with a staggering senior tally of 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game.
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TJ knew what was coming
When James was making all kinds of buzz as a high school phenom, TJ Ford was trying to establish himself as one of the nation’s top prospects at the University of Texas.
Ford is confident in his game and already envisions himself entering the NBA. However, having witnessed how the media was hooked on the LeBron hype en route to the 2003 NBA Draft, Ford knew right from the jump that the vaunted James from Akron, Ohio was the real deal.
So, when asked if he thought James would be the No. 1 overall pick out of prospects that year, Ford said, “Of course!” in a heartbeat.
“The things boys do in high school? Just think about it. His games were on ESPN, so we actually saw it,” Ford told BasketballNews.com in 2020.You can’t stream games, you can’t do that. We actually saw a high school kid play on ESPN when I was in college. This guy is on another level and you know he’s special.”
In the NBA, James was unable to replicate his incredible rise to greatness in high school. In fact, it took him nine seasons before he won his first NBA championship. However, Ford, as well as many of us, is convinced that LeBron is indeed cut from a special cloth.
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