Modified Aug 16, 2023 06:10 GMT

The whole NBA fraternity, together with legends like Charles Barkley, agrees that LA Lakers star ahead LeBron James has one of many biggest sports activities tales of all time.

After rising up poor in Akron, Ohio, James defied the percentages by turning into the No. 1 choose within the 2003 NBA draft straight out of highschool. He has since confirmed to be arguably the best participant in NBA historical past over his illustrious 20-year profession.

One wants to grasp that James’ rise to prominence wasn’t simple for him as he usually struggled to take care of his newfound fame as a 17-year-old junior in highschool. This in flip led James to interact in some questionable conduct, together with smoking marijuana.

In his 2009 ebook “Shooting Stars,” James spoke about his experiences as a highschool basketball prodigy at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. According to James, after he appeared on the duvet of Sports Illustrated journal, he and his buddies began to develop egos. The good friend group then lacked constructive grownup position fashions to maintain them in test:

“We had become big-headed jerks, me in particular,” James mentioned.

“We are to blame for that, but so are adults who treated us that way and then sat back and smugly watched the self-destruction.”

According to James, he and his buddies reached rockstar standing within the metropolis, which led them to attempt smoking marijuana in an Akron lodge room.

Looking again, James mentioned that he needs that he stayed extra lowkey in highschool. However, he understands why it was exhausting for him to regulate to such irregular circumstances, on condition that he was a young person on the time:

“I was arrogant, dubbing myself ‘The Chosen One,’” James mentioned.

“In hindsight, I should have kept quiet, but I also was what I was, a teenager where every reporter in the world seemed to be rushing toward me at once.”

Luckily for James, he was capable of overcome these obstacles and regulate to life within the highlight. He has since gained a status for being a household man and one of many least problematic star athletes on the planet.

Charles Barkley on why LeBron James is the best sports activities story ever

During an look on the “All The Smoke” podcast earlier this yr, Charles Barkley spoke about why he believes LeBron James is the best sports activities story ever.

Barkley raved about James having the ability to make the graceful transition from highschool to the NBA at age 18. He then spoke about how spectacular it’s that the star ahead has by no means gotten into any hassle over the previous 20 years:

“I think LeBron James is the greatest sports story of all time,” Barkley mentioned.

“For him to come into the NBA at 18 years old, he was really good — we had his first game I think, on TNT, he played really good — But in this generation with social media, he’s never gotten in trouble, he’s lived up to all the hype, I think it’s probably the greatest story in sports history.”

Indeed, James’ legacy continues to encourage generations to return. His unparalleled expertise and command over the sport make him an absolute position mannequin.

Also learn: Longtime rival Paul Pierce expects LeBron James to participate in 2024 Olympics: “I think he’ll go’