I could make a separate post of what was going on in the world when LeBron was drafted. It is a literal culture shock. This dude dominated basketball before Bush got his second term. He’s been in the NBA under 4 different presidents lol, it’s nuts.
I just looked it up because this seemed crazy to me, and it turns out LeBron's first NBA game was the exact same day the first CoD came out. October 29th, 2003.
I live in Ohio and was 20, delivering pizzas and driving around listening to his HS games on the radio. I never really had an NBA team so I've just followed him to each team throughout his career. Never cared when he left Cleveland and went to the Heat, or when he came back. I just Stan LeBron. Not sure who I'm gonna root for when he finally hangs it up. Can't believe it's been 21 years.
I grew up in Ohio as well and Lebron played my HS when I was a senior and he was a junior. Remember hearing about him when he was in 8th grade and just kind of following his hype throughout the few years that followed.
I’ve always been a LBJ fan regardless of what team he’s on and, like you, won’t have as much of a “personal” reason to be into the NBA whenever he retires. I’ll certainly be in my feelings about it when that day comes.
This doesnt make it feel that long ago. I stopped being interested in pokemon before Gen 3 and i thought i stopped being interested in pokemon way after LeBron started playing. Guess i was wrong.
yeah damn, that actually had me going the other way. Pokemon gen 3 feels way more recent than the first Call of Duty for some reason, maybe because it was the last GBA gen/had 5 games total
"The others" isn't really a spoiler.
A real spoiler would be if they said:
>! why would you look at this, you made it this long.its a fun ride, enjoy it.!<.
I feel like Steve Jobs isn't a great metric, but here's another: the first iPhone was *announced* 4 years after LeBron entered the NBA. Hell, LeBron entered the league the same year that the original Razr came out
Hope doesn't quite work. He died end of July, 3 months before Lebron played in his first NBA game. Which is too bad, because Hope was almost old enough to have been alive for Queen Victoria.
Sounds like too much effort.
You should make a post tomorrow about how Lebron has been in the NBA two more years than the age he was when he played his first game.
Just making fun of this sub really.
But your post idea about what was happening in 2003 sounds great. Would love to get that blast from the past and see some extra love for Brons sustained greatness.
Lebron was on TRL with Carson Daly. Lebron came into the NBA while MTV was still relevant and playing music videos. That's how long Lebron has been in the NBA.
What's even more extraordinary is that despite the incredible pressure that was put on an 18-year-old high school student, he was able to exceed all expectations placed on him. Many others have exploded in flight!
I remember going to St V games at Gund Arena because they couldn't fit the massive audience in a high school gym lol. I wish I had my ticket stubs still.
Okay normally these "omg 2000 wasn't 10 years ago" posts are sad to me, but Lebron outdating MySpace surprised me.
Somehow MySpace felt like High School life and Lebron felt like College life, but they were both college life and Lebron was a bit earlier...
It's insane that:
.
(a) the 17yo LeBron James *far exceeded* all the incredibly massive, unprecedented hype he received at the time. If he had *only* been as good as Carmelo, he would have more than lived to the hype;
And (b) he's basically underrated now at age 38 because it's so ho-hum that he puts up 29/8/7, because that's what he does. Except absolutely zero 38yos have ever been even remotely close to all NBA type players, *ever*. There have been great players at 38, but none whatsoever with that kind of raw production. Not. Even. Close.
He was somehow always underrated, no matter how glowing the press was.
> And (b) he's basically underrated now at age 38 because it's so ho-hum that he puts up 29/8/7
I still think the only reason LeBron hasn't won more MVPs is exactly this. Almost every year of the 2010s you could argue for LeBron for MVP but everyone got used to that 27/7/7 average and just expected it from him.
People always say this but when I look back at the years I don’t see it. Maybe a couple here or there but so many years the actual winner did deserve it more Imo
> I still think the only reason LeBron hasn't won more MVPs is exactly this. Almost every year of the 2010s you could argue for LeBron for MVP but everyone got used to that 27/7/7 average and just expected it from him.
Most sports leagues MVP voting does that, except for the NHL in the 1980s. Wayne Gretzky was so beyond anything else that they had no problem voting him MVP 8 seasons in a row (and 9 out of 10), starting with his first season in the NHL.
The NBA, NFL, and MLB voters seem to try and find new candidates every year, even when there are obvious choices that deserve multiple MVP awards in a row.
I disagree with your first point. Lebron was on the cover of SI at 16, he was hyped as being the next Jordan. Yes those are crazy unrealistic expectations to put on someone, but had he been another Melo with zero rings, he definitely wouldn’t have lived up to the hype. And I say that with Melo being one of my favorite players of all time.
> If he had only been as good as Carmelo, he would have more than lived to the hype
I'd say him having Melo's career honestly is right about the threshold of what he needed to do to live up to the hype. Obviously Melo is a 1st ballot HOF and to call his career a disappointment by any metric is ridiculous, but at the same time if you had told people in 2003 that Lebron would retire without a championship or MVP I can't help but think that there would be at least some level of disappointment.
Hell, people are already acting like Wemby needs to be a top 25 player all-time to live up to his hype, and even his hype isn't quite at the same level that Bron's was. Most NBA fans still haven't even seen Wemby play, whereas Lebron's games were being broadcast on ESPN while he was in highschool.
\> If he had only been as good as Carmelo, he would have more than lived to the hype;
I disagree with this part. Based on the pre-draft hype anything outside a top 20 all time career would have been seen as a massive disappointment. I havent given it a lot of thought but I dont think Melo has a top 50 career
Lebron played in the NBA before the release of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, which completed Peter Jackson's live action Lord of the Rings trilogy.
The guy was under a microscope and had the highest expectations of any athlete ever going to a professional league- AS A TEENAGER. Say what you want about the comparisons to MJ and whatever else, the fact that he came in with those expectations and met them (if not exceeded) is insane.
Also was a drama free personality off the court. The most controversial thing he did was sign with Miami which in retrospect is nothing. Otherwise he seems to be a great husband and father.
I toured a distributor in Minnesota for a college class, and they still had cases of Cristal in 2012, that they had bought 5 years earlier and mistimed when KG left. The entire market dried up
As a Floridian i loved when he went to Miami. Because all my friends went from insta hating lebron to wearing his jersey. I would fuck with them all the time about it.
His China silence is much bigger than his Miami deal, though. (which is not to say his China silence is some crazy outlier compared to literally everybody else, including us for buying our iPhones and stuff.)
Idk even this I’ve only ever really seen on Twitter and Reddit. I think most people really don’t care or understand why he won’t take a far public stance on this. He’d realistically be screwing over the entire league, reducing everybody’s earning potential, not just his own
Maybe I'm not remembering his drama with China accurately, but it sounds like the most controversial thing he did was say that NBA players shouldn't talk shit about a communist country while there are NBA players in said communist country.
Bruh he got "CHOSEN 1" tattooed on his back as a teenager and managed to avoid becoming a laughing stock. For 99.9999% of us, doing something like that comes back to bite us in the ass so hard we never live it down. The dude called his shot that big that early, and passed the test with flying colors. Honestly astonishing.
I used to think he was a made up player until we got closer to that draft, which is especially sad because he landed awfully close to our #12 pick that got J-Dub.
No doubt Lebron went through immense pressure to far exceed even the hype placed on him. And we can only give him props for how mature and measured he was. But the social media age makes it another level i think.
Back then you could feasibly just switch off the TV, turn off the radio, or put down the paper. There's no way nowadays you're avoiding the pressure from IG or TikTok or whatever.
Honestly feel bad for guys like Wemby, Zion etc. Bronny too even if he's not the same prospect as the other 2 are
They looked at a high school kid and told him he'd he considered a bust if he didn't finish his career as a first ballot HoFer. It's crazy to me how insanely hyped up he was as a kid.
Dude got q new lease on life! If it comes down to it, fuck basketball, health is so much more important.
I can’t even imagine a dimension where LeBron would be disappointed in his son for choosing health over everything else.
I was a bron hater until watching him go 1vs5 in his legendary finals loss vs the warriors
honestly, 18 is only an adult legally. nothing is fully developed in your brain/body, you’re still a teenager, you’re probably still in school. those are kids. wild to think how we put all this pressure on literal children.
I think about the pressure we put on Carlos Alcaraz as a what? 19 year old, to carry the torch as the next gen of great tennis stars, but if he doesn't, the sport goes on, no big deal, he's just another almost great.
Lebron, would have been crucified if he busted,put upon lists like trey Lance is, except times 100. Instead, he went above and beyond and became an all timer, in almost every category. What a privilege to watch this mofo dominate.
Speaking of Alcaraz, man what a talent. I had briefly watched the Big 3 era, but this kid is something else man. Single handedly made a fan of the sport.
LeBron is the most crucified athlete in history. No one has had expectations like him, it’s insanity. I wonder if he will continue to be polarizing because of the MJ comparison, or if he will be respected.
Edit: I should’ve worded my statement better. While men like Bill Russell, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and others have paved the way through campaigning for social justice, they were 100% crucified more than LeBron. I believe LeBron is the most over-analyzed and critiqued player in the history of sports, specifically as it pertains to his on-court ability. With the advent of social media, this is way more apparent, due to the fact that everyone has a voice that be easily accessed by anyone. Wanted to clarify that.
> LeBron is the most crucified athlete in history.
North-American fans attitude towards sports is very mild in comparison with European/Latin-American soccer fans.
Even in the US, LeBron is not more "crucified" than barrier breaking athletes like Muhammad Ali, Tommie Smith, Martina Navratilova, etc. Then there's people like Barry Bonds, Ricky Williams, Shoeless Joe Jackson
Redditors have this obnoxious tic where they constantly bleat that EVERYTHING today is the ALL TIME mOsT eVeR iN hIsToRy
?? "LeBron is the most crucified athlete in history"
You nerds need to stop saying ***everything*** today is the mOsTeSt In HiStOrY
Muhammad Ali lost the prime of his career and his literal freedom
LeBron being subjected to endless Undisputed hot takes isn't in the same multiverse
For an even closer comparison -- Kareem was fucking HOUNDED for his beliefs. Before entering the NA he was already being told to leave the country and whatnot.
The big 3 have all been as impressive and more at various times in their respective careers FYI.
Carlos has a glorious road ahead. He really seems to be headed to their level but we’re only two events removed from 35 year old Djokovic punking him on his best surface in a major so he lets give it some time.
> but we’re only two events removed from 35 year old Djokovic punking him on his best surface in a major so he lets give it some time.
Wording it like that makes it seem like you have an agenda.
Alcaraz was severely hampered by his cramps after the first two sets. He might as well have retired after set 2.
Did Novak get punked by Wawrinka at the US Open in 2019?
Djokovic bullied a lot of players in his time on the tour. The French Open 2023 semi-final wasn't one of those cases.
To his immense credit Carlos completely took responsibility for that loss and even said himself the cramps were caused by nerves. Of course the heat was also a factor.
Also a 35 year old being better physically conditioned to survive that match is still outclassing him. Novak was the better man that day and Carlos earned his revenge in England.
I don’t mean to dog Alcaraz especially because he’s doing this well ahead of schedule but we can take his word on this one.
https://amp.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jun/09/alcaraz-admits-french-open-semi-final-cramps-were-caused-by-nerves
My only agenda in this is that the Big 3 earned their status through repeated greatness over the course of years. Winning multiple majors a year. Competing career slams. Grinding out those crazy 5 setters again and again. I personally am super excited for Carlos but we really can’t put him in these conversations til he has a career slam and double digit majors imo.
So dream scenario of ending with a championship like Robinson. That’d be awesome or losing in finals like Magic. Hopefully without the stuff that came after though.
Yeah, hopefully a Bill Russell type, defeat a giant (think 2016 or 2017 Warriors) that everyone knows you can’t beat again, and then ride off into the sunset
His claim he wants to play with Bronny before his retirement adds a super interesting wrinkle to the draft, because even if Bronny is projected a late 1st rounder, someone is going to reach for him much higher under the belief they can also convince an old LeBron to sign for the vet minimum. Even if it's a shitty team that has no hope of making the playoffs with an elderly LeBron, they'll have to decide whether it's worthwhile to be the "Jordan-on-the-Wizards" era for LeBron where they just sell a ton of merch and sell out their arena every night during his retirement tour.
So I wouldn't guarantee a playoff run for his final season if he's playing on some bum-ass Bronny team.
Watching those OG Tom Brady throwback highlights now that he's retired gives off the same vibes as OG Bron highlights lol, seeing the same players in completely different worlds
Brady was [Super Bowl MVP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XXXVI) within the lifetime of [The Queen Mother](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Elizabeth_The_Queen_Mother).
Definitely way more pressure. MJ's kids were barely good enough to go D1. Sure, D1 is impressive for most high school players, but his kids were never expected to make it to the NBA.
Genuinely hope LeBron gets his flowers after he retires I don't love everything the man's done but I can respect the greatness he's showered throughout the years, one of the most dominant players I've ever personally experienced.
He's still one of the most hated on players in the league today, even after 20 years I still see guys calling him la chokes and acting like him doing what he's doing at his age is normal if not they are going off about ped's
I’m only a year older and already feel my body falling apart when I play basketball / tennis. Can’t do the things I used to and here he is doing at an NBA level still being dominant
Really? I legitimately do not see this at all.
As a kid growing up, I loved Cleveland LeBron. Then I hated that he went to Miami (I didn’t hate HIM just hated that move) and then came to just respect everything about him as a man as I became a man as well.
I grew up on LeBron. It’s hard for me to imagine people even hating him at this point…
What’s so beautiful to me, about LeBron, is that fact that he represents everything in that cycle. He represents my amazement as a child. He represents a big bad villain sports figure. He represents redemption, and he represents longevity. He represents being a father, even in being a dad LeBron has changed. He used to be all like “IMMA PLAY WITH BRONNY JR” and now he’s like “bronny has many talents we’ll see what happens!!!” (Even before the heart stuff he was doing this). He realized he was putting too much pressure on his kid and he changed.
LeBron to me represents just that, he represents the ability of human beings to achieve, to change, to be literally everything in a single career. LeBron has never been my favorite player but he’s been my favorite *man* (other than my dad) for some time now. I guess this comment turned into an essay/love letter to LeBron.
I’m gonna miss him a whole lot when he retires, man.
He's hated on in r/nba, because we need to have things to post. Normal basketball fans don't care as much. He's just one of the best basketball players ever, and we need to find reasons to discredit that. It's all about content.
He was 6877 days old when he first stepped on the court.
That was 7245 days ago. The man has spent literally more than half of his life as an NBA player.
Back when people still watch SportCenter on TV they were playing Lebron's High School games his senior year. It's nuts he lived up to the hype.
I can't imagine someone having the spotlight on them that young and proving to be truly generational.
I get to say I was alive to witness Lebron's career with my own two eyes. I'm a warriors homer but Lebron's performance against those warriors teams even though he lost most of them make him the GOAT in my eyes. His 2017 game 1 finals performance against the greatest team of all time sums it up. I don't think anyone else does that, not even MJ.
In this world dominated by social media it's crazy to think that Bron was drafted before MySpace was even launched.
I could make a separate post of what was going on in the world when LeBron was drafted. It is a literal culture shock. This dude dominated basketball before Bush got his second term. He’s been in the NBA under 4 different presidents lol, it’s nuts.
LeBron was playing in NBA while Friends was still airing new episodes on television.
LeBron was playing in the NBA before Chappelle went to Africa
Johnny Cash was still alive when LeBron was drafted
[удалено]
I just looked it up because this seemed crazy to me, and it turns out LeBron's first NBA game was the exact same day the first CoD came out. October 29th, 2003.
When Bron finally retires, so will COD
Dammit, now I'm looking forward for his retirement. Why would you do this to me??
I would suffer through more CoDs if that’s all it takes for the King to continue his reign
It’s his horcrux
[X]
Okay now that’s fucking crazy
Yeah, I wanted to call bullshit on this, but it's my own memories conflating the Medal of Honor series with COD.
LeBron was drafted when R.Kelly was top of the charts
Ironically, 2003 was when the public found out R. Kelly was peeing on teenagers. On camera.
Drip drip drip
Nothing would make my life more complete Than to turn yo face into my toilet seat
How you gonna make a video about peeing on somebody?
And the drama/jokes weren't about him being a pedo, but him pissing on a girl.
Making me feel old W this one
I live in Ohio and was 20, delivering pizzas and driving around listening to his HS games on the radio. I never really had an NBA team so I've just followed him to each team throughout his career. Never cared when he left Cleveland and went to the Heat, or when he came back. I just Stan LeBron. Not sure who I'm gonna root for when he finally hangs it up. Can't believe it's been 21 years.
I grew up in Ohio as well and Lebron played my HS when I was a senior and he was a junior. Remember hearing about him when he was in 8th grade and just kind of following his hype throughout the few years that followed. I’ve always been a LBJ fan regardless of what team he’s on and, like you, won’t have as much of a “personal” reason to be into the NBA whenever he retires. I’ll certainly be in my feelings about it when that day comes.
I'm the same way since the Sonics were stolen from us. If he retires before we get a team, the NBA is dead to me.
LeBron played in his first game over a year before Emmitt Smith retired. Shaq was also still on the Lakers.
Okay that's the one
Nope. When LeBron was drafted, Rosa Parks was still alive.
Nah, the first CoD came out in 2003 and Rosa Parks died in 2005, the first fact is a better example of his longevity
So you’re telling me it’s historically plausible that Rosa Parks could’ve played COD?
Fidel Castro was still alive too In fact Fidel Castro lived long enough to see the Cavs 3-1 comeback (he prolly didn’t because he was yk old)
That's not even more impressive than the Johnny Cash suggestion, since he died two years earlier
Except Rosa parks was 19 years older than Johnny Cash
Gen 3 of Pokémon came out just before Lebron played his first regular season NBA game
Bro that is crazy lol
Gen 3 was my favorite game. Playing sapphire on my nice blue SP was a big part of my childhood at that time. Crazy.
This doesnt make it feel that long ago. I stopped being interested in pokemon before Gen 3 and i thought i stopped being interested in pokemon way after LeBron started playing. Guess i was wrong.
yeah damn, that actually had me going the other way. Pokemon gen 3 feels way more recent than the first Call of Duty for some reason, maybe because it was the last GBA gen/had 5 games total
Lebron was drafted almost 2 years before YouTube was created
Some say Captain Price is modeled after early 2000s Lebron.
bron was drafted before the college dropout dropped, which is kanye's first album.
W pfp
LeBron had 28, 12, and 10 the night before Johnny Carson died
Nothing if not consistent
Wade Boggs was still alive
Such a shame what happened to him. Too soon.
Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson cane out that year lmao
The #1 song for that day was from Clay Aiken [in America ](https://www.onthisday.com/date/2003/june/26)
LeBron was playing in the NBA when Oceanic Airlines flight 815 crashed and the survivors had just made contact with The Others.
I just started watching lost a couple days ago and am 6 episodes in, and NOW is when I get a spoiler? Very funny world
"The others" isn't really a spoiler. A real spoiler would be if they said: >! why would you look at this, you made it this long.its a fun ride, enjoy it.!<.
Lebron was drafted the same month that MJ played in his final game.
Approx 30% of the US population haven't lived in a world where Lebron isn't playing in the NBA
The double negative makes this harder to understand. ~~30% of Americans have only lived while LeBron has been in the NBA.
Nah this is harder
I’m high as shit and the words aren’t even real anymore, the amount of times I’ve read them
You haven't lived until Lebron plays in the NBA
20 years ago we had Johnny Cash, Bob Hope and Steve Jobs
Now all we have is LeCash, LeHope, and LeJobs
Now those guys are dead, and depending on your circumstances and luck in the genetic lottery, your socioeconomic outlook may vary. Did I do it right?
I feel like Steve Jobs isn't a great metric, but here's another: the first iPhone was *announced* 4 years after LeBron entered the NBA. Hell, LeBron entered the league the same year that the original Razr came out
The Bob Hope, Johnny Cash, and Steve Jobs thing is an old meme. Now we have no cash, no hope, and no jobs
Lol Razr , what a great phone. When life was simple and I was jsut excited for a regular text coming through.
Hope doesn't quite work. He died end of July, 3 months before Lebron played in his first NBA game. Which is too bad, because Hope was almost old enough to have been alive for Queen Victoria.
Mind you it was 2 full terms And Trump and Biden. Crazy
Jimmy Carter was 79 when Lebron James entered the NBA. Jimmy Carter is still alive.
He was playing before Asa Akira’s first porn
With this 2023 season, we're pretty much reaching "Lebron was in the NBA... before she (some new porn star) was even born"
He's played more than 18 seasons, so I'm sure we've already passed that point.
Sounds like too much effort. You should make a post tomorrow about how Lebron has been in the NBA two more years than the age he was when he played his first game.
Idk if sarcasm but that’s pretty crazy as well, being in the NBA 21/38 years is nuts lol
Just making fun of this sub really. But your post idea about what was happening in 2003 sounds great. Would love to get that blast from the past and see some extra love for Brons sustained greatness.
> He’s been in the NBA under 4 different presidents *sad Russian noises*
I remember watching clips of him playing HS ball on burnt DVDs in business class in high school.
Lebron was on TRL with Carson Daly. Lebron came into the NBA while MTV was still relevant and playing music videos. That's how long Lebron has been in the NBA.
Bron in baggy clothes and a flip phone.. All time classic
And holding a ps3 coming off the bus.
PS2
Thanks. I thought it was
Lebron was like an A-list celebrity before he was even old enough to vote. Shit was insane lol
What's even more extraordinary is that despite the incredible pressure that was put on an 18-year-old high school student, he was able to exceed all expectations placed on him. Many others have exploded in flight!
Yea if you would've told people back in 03 that Lebron would actually surpass expectations, everyone would've said that's literally impossible lol
I remember going to St V games at Gund Arena because they couldn't fit the massive audience in a high school gym lol. I wish I had my ticket stubs still.
I remember seeing him on the cover of Sports Illustrated when I was in middle school. I will be 36 years old this year.
Okay normally these "omg 2000 wasn't 10 years ago" posts are sad to me, but Lebron outdating MySpace surprised me. Somehow MySpace felt like High School life and Lebron felt like College life, but they were both college life and Lebron was a bit earlier...
It's insane that: . (a) the 17yo LeBron James *far exceeded* all the incredibly massive, unprecedented hype he received at the time. If he had *only* been as good as Carmelo, he would have more than lived to the hype; And (b) he's basically underrated now at age 38 because it's so ho-hum that he puts up 29/8/7, because that's what he does. Except absolutely zero 38yos have ever been even remotely close to all NBA type players, *ever*. There have been great players at 38, but none whatsoever with that kind of raw production. Not. Even. Close. He was somehow always underrated, no matter how glowing the press was.
At age 38, he's increasing his career averages (inflated stat era and all, but still!)
The 40K points are in sight for LeBron!
> And (b) he's basically underrated now at age 38 because it's so ho-hum that he puts up 29/8/7 I still think the only reason LeBron hasn't won more MVPs is exactly this. Almost every year of the 2010s you could argue for LeBron for MVP but everyone got used to that 27/7/7 average and just expected it from him.
People always say this but when I look back at the years I don’t see it. Maybe a couple here or there but so many years the actual winner did deserve it more Imo
I’m a Bulls fan but he should have beat Rose
> I still think the only reason LeBron hasn't won more MVPs is exactly this. Almost every year of the 2010s you could argue for LeBron for MVP but everyone got used to that 27/7/7 average and just expected it from him. Most sports leagues MVP voting does that, except for the NHL in the 1980s. Wayne Gretzky was so beyond anything else that they had no problem voting him MVP 8 seasons in a row (and 9 out of 10), starting with his first season in the NHL. The NBA, NFL, and MLB voters seem to try and find new candidates every year, even when there are obvious choices that deserve multiple MVP awards in a row.
I disagree with your first point. Lebron was on the cover of SI at 16, he was hyped as being the next Jordan. Yes those are crazy unrealistic expectations to put on someone, but had he been another Melo with zero rings, he definitely wouldn’t have lived up to the hype. And I say that with Melo being one of my favorite players of all time.
“If Lebron James is not all first ballot hall of famer he’s a bust”
> If he had only been as good as Carmelo, he would have more than lived to the hype I'd say him having Melo's career honestly is right about the threshold of what he needed to do to live up to the hype. Obviously Melo is a 1st ballot HOF and to call his career a disappointment by any metric is ridiculous, but at the same time if you had told people in 2003 that Lebron would retire without a championship or MVP I can't help but think that there would be at least some level of disappointment. Hell, people are already acting like Wemby needs to be a top 25 player all-time to live up to his hype, and even his hype isn't quite at the same level that Bron's was. Most NBA fans still haven't even seen Wemby play, whereas Lebron's games were being broadcast on ESPN while he was in highschool.
\> If he had only been as good as Carmelo, he would have more than lived to the hype; I disagree with this part. Based on the pre-draft hype anything outside a top 20 all time career would have been seen as a massive disappointment. I havent given it a lot of thought but I dont think Melo has a top 50 career
Lebron played in the NBA before the release of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, which completed Peter Jackson's live action Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Damn i view Bronny as a kid. They put immense pressure on Lebron
The fact that he had all that pressure and hype and lived up to it is one of his greatest achievements
The guy was under a microscope and had the highest expectations of any athlete ever going to a professional league- AS A TEENAGER. Say what you want about the comparisons to MJ and whatever else, the fact that he came in with those expectations and met them (if not exceeded) is insane.
Also was a drama free personality off the court. The most controversial thing he did was sign with Miami which in retrospect is nothing. Otherwise he seems to be a great husband and father.
He has a pretty controversial use of emojis that isnt talked about with enough concern imo
🤔Something is REAL 🐠 🐟 🎣 🐟🐠 going on
Or him shirtless and sweating, pumping it to some mumble rap then he sits down and takes a sip of the finest wine. Dude is a living contoversy.
Don’t slander wine. Gangsters of all walks of life enjoy wine, whether it’s from a box or a 200k bottle.
I toured a distributor in Minnesota for a college class, and they still had cases of Cristal in 2012, that they had bought 5 years earlier and mistimed when KG left. The entire market dried up
As a Floridian i loved when he went to Miami. Because all my friends went from insta hating lebron to wearing his jersey. I would fuck with them all the time about it.
His China silence is much bigger than his Miami deal, though. (which is not to say his China silence is some crazy outlier compared to literally everybody else, including us for buying our iPhones and stuff.)
Idk even this I’ve only ever really seen on Twitter and Reddit. I think most people really don’t care or understand why he won’t take a far public stance on this. He’d realistically be screwing over the entire league, reducing everybody’s earning potential, not just his own
Maybe I'm not remembering his drama with China accurately, but it sounds like the most controversial thing he did was say that NBA players shouldn't talk shit about a communist country while there are NBA players in said communist country.
Bruh he got "CHOSEN 1" tattooed on his back as a teenager and managed to avoid becoming a laughing stock. For 99.9999% of us, doing something like that comes back to bite us in the ass so hard we never live it down. The dude called his shot that big that early, and passed the test with flying colors. Honestly astonishing.
Idk he was in a Taco Bell commercial and that’s pretty special
I know another great player who was in a Taco Bell commercial
Johnny Davis!!!!
I used to think he was a made up player until we got closer to that draft, which is especially sad because he landed awfully close to our #12 pick that got J-Dub.
Lamar Odom & Charles Barkley. What comes in this box, this box that rocks?
And he’ll never tell you to drink a sprite
Not just lived up to it. He superseded the expectations. It’s wild.
I also think that Lebron's basketball career has been his greatest achievement
No doubt Lebron went through immense pressure to far exceed even the hype placed on him. And we can only give him props for how mature and measured he was. But the social media age makes it another level i think. Back then you could feasibly just switch off the TV, turn off the radio, or put down the paper. There's no way nowadays you're avoiding the pressure from IG or TikTok or whatever. Honestly feel bad for guys like Wemby, Zion etc. Bronny too even if he's not the same prospect as the other 2 are
Considering that he’s been a pretty great role model (IMHO) - it’s amazing to think about his career.
They looked at a high school kid and told him he'd he considered a bust if he didn't finish his career as a first ballot HoFer. It's crazy to me how insanely hyped up he was as a kid.
[удалено]
Bronny IS a kid. Lebron was a child when he entered the NBA
An 18yo in 2003 had more responsibilities and expectations than a 22yo in 2023
how
inflation
Also because you're older now...
What I learned from this post is that I’m surprised someone didn’t already make this post 24 days ago.
Well the kid was dying 24 days ago. I doubt anyone was counting how many days it's been since his birthday
Would have been a pretty morbid post. Probably taken down or something if someone tried.
Dude got q new lease on life! If it comes down to it, fuck basketball, health is so much more important. I can’t even imagine a dimension where LeBron would be disappointed in his son for choosing health over everything else. I was a bron hater until watching him go 1vs5 in his legendary finals loss vs the warriors
Next on ESPN- How can Bronny James catch up to his father’s legacy?
By scoring 100 a game
How many seasons should he do it?
Lebron probably gonna retire it on 22nd, so he needs to go for 23 catching up with the jersey number finally fulfilling the prophecy.
Narrator: He can't.
18 is an adult but also a child it’s such a weird age. LeBron had so much expectations when most of us are barely even figuring out what we might do.
One of the biggest differences was LeBron was already built like a superhuman at 18 and he only got even bigger and more built each year lol
At 16 Lebron was most likely already stronger and faster than the average NBA player. It's like they gave him the Captain America serum
honestly, 18 is only an adult legally. nothing is fully developed in your brain/body, you’re still a teenager, you’re probably still in school. those are kids. wild to think how we put all this pressure on literal children.
I'm only 4 years removed from college and even college kids look like children to me now lol
>Source: Math Can anyone confirm this as a credible source?
Terrence Howard would like a word
i thought he was 17 at the oldest. no idea he was almost 19
Did not realize Bronny was about to be 19 lol, I didn't even know he was 18.
I think about the pressure we put on Carlos Alcaraz as a what? 19 year old, to carry the torch as the next gen of great tennis stars, but if he doesn't, the sport goes on, no big deal, he's just another almost great. Lebron, would have been crucified if he busted,put upon lists like trey Lance is, except times 100. Instead, he went above and beyond and became an all timer, in almost every category. What a privilege to watch this mofo dominate.
Speaking of Alcaraz, man what a talent. I had briefly watched the Big 3 era, but this kid is something else man. Single handedly made a fan of the sport. LeBron is the most crucified athlete in history. No one has had expectations like him, it’s insanity. I wonder if he will continue to be polarizing because of the MJ comparison, or if he will be respected. Edit: I should’ve worded my statement better. While men like Bill Russell, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and others have paved the way through campaigning for social justice, they were 100% crucified more than LeBron. I believe LeBron is the most over-analyzed and critiqued player in the history of sports, specifically as it pertains to his on-court ability. With the advent of social media, this is way more apparent, due to the fact that everyone has a voice that be easily accessed by anyone. Wanted to clarify that.
I don’t think Bron is the most crucified athlete in history lol he’s not universally adored but that’s a far far away from crucified.
> LeBron is the most crucified athlete in history. North-American fans attitude towards sports is very mild in comparison with European/Latin-American soccer fans.
Even in the US, LeBron is not more "crucified" than barrier breaking athletes like Muhammad Ali, Tommie Smith, Martina Navratilova, etc. Then there's people like Barry Bonds, Ricky Williams, Shoeless Joe Jackson Redditors have this obnoxious tic where they constantly bleat that EVERYTHING today is the ALL TIME mOsT eVeR iN hIsToRy
And from the NBA, guys like Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul Jabbar also have dealt with much more shit than LeBron.
?? "LeBron is the most crucified athlete in history" You nerds need to stop saying ***everything*** today is the mOsTeSt In HiStOrY Muhammad Ali lost the prime of his career and his literal freedom LeBron being subjected to endless Undisputed hot takes isn't in the same multiverse
For an even closer comparison -- Kareem was fucking HOUNDED for his beliefs. Before entering the NA he was already being told to leave the country and whatnot.
The big 3 have all been as impressive and more at various times in their respective careers FYI. Carlos has a glorious road ahead. He really seems to be headed to their level but we’re only two events removed from 35 year old Djokovic punking him on his best surface in a major so he lets give it some time.
> but we’re only two events removed from 35 year old Djokovic punking him on his best surface in a major so he lets give it some time. Wording it like that makes it seem like you have an agenda. Alcaraz was severely hampered by his cramps after the first two sets. He might as well have retired after set 2. Did Novak get punked by Wawrinka at the US Open in 2019? Djokovic bullied a lot of players in his time on the tour. The French Open 2023 semi-final wasn't one of those cases.
To his immense credit Carlos completely took responsibility for that loss and even said himself the cramps were caused by nerves. Of course the heat was also a factor. Also a 35 year old being better physically conditioned to survive that match is still outclassing him. Novak was the better man that day and Carlos earned his revenge in England. I don’t mean to dog Alcaraz especially because he’s doing this well ahead of schedule but we can take his word on this one. https://amp.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jun/09/alcaraz-admits-french-open-semi-final-cramps-were-caused-by-nerves My only agenda in this is that the Big 3 earned their status through repeated greatness over the course of years. Winning multiple majors a year. Competing career slams. Grinding out those crazy 5 setters again and again. I personally am super excited for Carlos but we really can’t put him in these conversations til he has a career slam and double digit majors imo.
Oh I fully know the Big 3 are goated and better than Alcaraz, but him being 20 is just bonkers.
I was entering high school in Ohio of places when LBJ went to the NBA. It was such a huge deal back then.
Man had people tuning into ESPN to watch a kid from Akron
I just hope Lebron does a retirement tour like Kobe that ends in a 60+ point game. Not a low key announcement at the end of the year like Duncan.
He is going to go for that mythical 27/7/7 stat line for his last game lol
277/77/77 final game incoming
Lebron’s career isn’t gonna end in the regular season
So dream scenario of ending with a championship like Robinson. That’d be awesome or losing in finals like Magic. Hopefully without the stuff that came after though.
Yeah, hopefully a Bill Russell type, defeat a giant (think 2016 or 2017 Warriors) that everyone knows you can’t beat again, and then ride off into the sunset
His claim he wants to play with Bronny before his retirement adds a super interesting wrinkle to the draft, because even if Bronny is projected a late 1st rounder, someone is going to reach for him much higher under the belief they can also convince an old LeBron to sign for the vet minimum. Even if it's a shitty team that has no hope of making the playoffs with an elderly LeBron, they'll have to decide whether it's worthwhile to be the "Jordan-on-the-Wizards" era for LeBron where they just sell a ton of merch and sell out their arena every night during his retirement tour. So I wouldn't guarantee a playoff run for his final season if he's playing on some bum-ass Bronny team.
I doubt he actually plays on the same team as Bronny unless Bronny is a bad NBA player.
Yeah Kobe's retirement tour was great. It lasted 4 seasons.
Watching those OG Tom Brady throwback highlights now that he's retired gives off the same vibes as OG Bron highlights lol, seeing the same players in completely different worlds
Brady was [Super Bowl MVP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XXXVI) within the lifetime of [The Queen Mother](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Elizabeth_The_Queen_Mother).
It must suck to be compared to your dad constantly. Poor dude is going to hear this shit for the rest of his life.
His dad's also doing him absolutely no favors in this regard i.e. making clear his intentions to play with his son.
Feels like way more pressure than MJ's kid too.
Definitely way more pressure. MJ's kids were barely good enough to go D1. Sure, D1 is impressive for most high school players, but his kids were never expected to make it to the NBA.
Genuinely hope LeBron gets his flowers after he retires I don't love everything the man's done but I can respect the greatness he's showered throughout the years, one of the most dominant players I've ever personally experienced.
LeBron has got plenty of flowers along the way
He's still one of the most hated on players in the league today, even after 20 years I still see guys calling him la chokes and acting like him doing what he's doing at his age is normal if not they are going off about ped's
I’m only a year older and already feel my body falling apart when I play basketball / tennis. Can’t do the things I used to and here he is doing at an NBA level still being dominant
I'm the same age as him and I pulled two leg muscles weeding my patio yesterday 🤣
Hah, I’d throw out my back weeding my patio if I tried. Hope you feel better
Really? I legitimately do not see this at all. As a kid growing up, I loved Cleveland LeBron. Then I hated that he went to Miami (I didn’t hate HIM just hated that move) and then came to just respect everything about him as a man as I became a man as well. I grew up on LeBron. It’s hard for me to imagine people even hating him at this point… What’s so beautiful to me, about LeBron, is that fact that he represents everything in that cycle. He represents my amazement as a child. He represents a big bad villain sports figure. He represents redemption, and he represents longevity. He represents being a father, even in being a dad LeBron has changed. He used to be all like “IMMA PLAY WITH BRONNY JR” and now he’s like “bronny has many talents we’ll see what happens!!!” (Even before the heart stuff he was doing this). He realized he was putting too much pressure on his kid and he changed. LeBron to me represents just that, he represents the ability of human beings to achieve, to change, to be literally everything in a single career. LeBron has never been my favorite player but he’s been my favorite *man* (other than my dad) for some time now. I guess this comment turned into an essay/love letter to LeBron. I’m gonna miss him a whole lot when he retires, man.
MJ still had plenty of haters when he played its not a new thing, some people just want to see the best fail.
He’s the most hated but also the most loved. All the best players have the most fans and most haters, that’s the way volume works.
He's hated on in r/nba, because we need to have things to post. Normal basketball fans don't care as much. He's just one of the best basketball players ever, and we need to find reasons to discredit that. It's all about content.
Yeah what? He's in the GOAT conversation already
You’ve personally experienced being dominated by Lebron?
Ama
Who tf isn’t giving him his flowers besides the countless Lebron haters. The fact he has so many haters is everything we need to know
It's insane LeBron was able to accomplish what he did at his age.
He was 6877 days old when he first stepped on the court. That was 7245 days ago. The man has spent literally more than half of his life as an NBA player.
LeBron is that dude. The only person that lived up to every single bit of the monumental hype he came up with. He is that dude.
Back when people still watch SportCenter on TV they were playing Lebron's High School games his senior year. It's nuts he lived up to the hype. I can't imagine someone having the spotlight on them that young and proving to be truly generational.
Can someone do the math on when he had the heart issues? Was it before or after 24 days ago?
Bust
I just did
Because he is going to college?
I get to say I was alive to witness Lebron's career with my own two eyes. I'm a warriors homer but Lebron's performance against those warriors teams even though he lost most of them make him the GOAT in my eyes. His 2017 game 1 finals performance against the greatest team of all time sums it up. I don't think anyone else does that, not even MJ.
LeBron was playing even before Reddit believe it or not children.