Now, more than two decades later, as LeBron James celebrates his 39th birthday, it’s easy with 20-20 hindsight to say it: Not only was the hype real, but it was deserved, too.
The buzz — among fans and media, scouts and team executives — began years before LeBron made his NBA debut on Oct. 29, 2003, leaping directly to The League from St. Mary-St. Vincent High School in Akron, Ohio.
The buzz became more of a roar by the time he was drafted No. 1 overall by the Cavaliers.
In fact, The Sporting News posed the question on its May 26, 2003, cover: Is LeBron James Overrated? (Spoiler alert: No, he wasn’t, but there were legitimate questions about whether he was being over-marketed as a teen.)
So much has been written about LeBron over the course of his career that it seems a good time to go back in search of some of the earliest trickles of information, not surprising the first in TSN named him to a high school sophomore All-America team in 2001.
Here are seven select times, amid dozens from spring 2001 to fall 2003, that LeBron’s name came up in the pages of The Sporting News:
1. When TSN first mentioned his name
Issue date: March 26, 2001
TSN wrote: TSN High School All-Americans. Sophomore LeBron James: Just 16, James introduced himself to the nation with 33 points against powerhouse Oak Hill in January. Still working on another Ohio state Division III title with Akron’s St. Vincent-St. Mary High last week, the 6-6, 205-pound shooting guard was averaging 25.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7, assists.
2. When an underclassmen All-Star game upstaged the seniors
Issue date: July 23, 2001
TSN wrote: Junior LeBron James was the best player at the adidas ABCD Camp in Teaneck, N.J., and his name dominated water cooler conversations. His matchup with senior small forward Lenny Cooke will long be remembered. James hit a 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded to give his team the win.
The ABCD Camp was talented and deep, despite the overall lack of depth of the senior class. The point guard position especially was loaded, and the underclassmen invited to camp were super. In fact, the underclassmen All-Star game at the end of camp was a much bigger hit than the senior game. Sophomore guard Sebastian Telfair of New York and James, of Akron, Ohio, were the main attractions, and they didn’t disappoint.
3. When TSN's Caught on the Fly heard whispers
Issue date: Aug. 13, 2001
TSN wrote: Fly’s never quite sure what to make of hoopsters who still eat sloppy Joes off Styrofoam trays during fifth period, but the Spies’re sayin’ the nation’s best prep player is Akron’s LeBron James, who will be only a junior this year. After watching James drop 24 on top senior Lenny Cooke in a summer game, one veteran scout whispered, “That’s the best high school player I ever saw.”
4. When he worked out with MJ … in 2001
Issue date: June 10, 2002
TSN wrote: The Cavaliers' penalty — a $150,000 fine and two-game suspension for coach John Lucas — for allowing high school phenom LeBron James to participate in a workout seems excessive, especially considering it's no secret James has had contact with other NBA teams. According to NBA rules, deputy commissioner Russ Granik told reporters, “The teams are not allowed to have contact with any player who is not eligible for the draft." Last summer, James was part of Wizards SF Michael Jordan's comeback workouts in Chicago.
5. When, in 2002 NBA Draft coverage, TSN looked to 2003
Issue date: July 1, 2002
TSN wrote: Upset because you’re quite sure your infernal hometown team has blown it again with another terrible lottery selection? Well, have no fear — NBA Draft 2003 is just one year away, and we’re already looking at how the lottery might shake down.
1. LeBron James, G/F, 6-7 St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) H.S. Write him in ink as the No. 1 pick. He would have gone No. 1 this year.
6. When TSN declared: ‘Let the LeBron-a-thon begin’
Issue date: Dec. 23, 2002
TSN's Sean Deveney wrote: It did not take a midseason high school game — albeit one against the nation's top-ranked team, played in front of more than 11,000 fans, a national television audience and about 50 media members — to secure LeBron James' status as the sure No. 1 pick in next June's NBA draft. That he scored 31 points on 12-for-25 shooting, grabbed 13 rebounds, dished out six assists and led St. Vincent-St. Mary of Akron, Ohio, to a 20-point win over Oak Hill (Va.) Academy only added to the Legend of LeBron. Long before that public showing, the dregs of the league were looking forward to the LeBron-a-thon lottery next spring, when bouncing Ping-Ping Pong balls will determine who gets James and who gets everybody else.
While the crowd that showed up to see James was impressive, most telling was who was not there — scouts from most NBA teams. As one Eastern Conference personnel man says, “What's left to see? It's written in ink. It's carved in stone. He's No. 1.”
We know he is a terrific passer, capable of playing the point from a forward spot. We know he has instincts, leaping ability, size and the endorsement of Michael Jordan. But is James that good? Are there no negatives that go along with the 6-8, 240-pound teenager who has already been crowned King James?
"The only downsides are the uncertainties," says one Western Conference scout. "Can he defend at the NBA level? No one knows. Can he handle being knocked around? There will be plenty of guys looking to put him on the floor when he gets into the league.
"And how about the pressure and scrutiny? He really seems like a nice kid off the court. He's well-spoken and carries himself well. Those are big pluses because this is a kid who has been courted by agents and shoe companies for four years. That can twist a person's mind around."
In the game against Oak Hill, James struggled with his jumper a bit, but even that did not faze scouts.
"You're looking for form, and he's got good shooting form,” says an Eastern Conference scout. "I watched Michael Finley go 1-for-15 when he was at Wisconsin, but I gave him high grades for shooting. James is a good shooter, but everything else he does is great."
James seems to fit the mold of two other athletic, preps-to-pros wing men who have gone on to NBA stardom: Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady. But even that mold might not be big enough for him.
"He is flat-out better than those guys were when they were in high school," the Eastern Conference personnel man says. "But having said that, Kobe and McGrady have worked very, very hard to take their ability and maximize it. If he puts in that kind of work, then, yeah, he could be better than them. It's tough to tell who will be the ones willing to do that.”
7. When Hall of Famer Rick Barry wrote, ‘I believe the hype’
Issue date: June 29, 2003
Rick Barry wrote: LeBron James is expected to take the basement-dwelling Cavaliers to the playoffs, win Rookie of the Year honors and exude an off-court persona that belies his years. Is it reasonable to believe the 18-year-old will meet those expectations?
If anyone can do it, James can. James, the most-hyped high school player ever, possesses a level of physical maturity neither Kobe Bryant nor Kevin Garnett had when he was drafted. Certainly, his game has room for improvement — whose doesn’t? — but overall James is solid fundamentally and exceptional athletically.
What I like most about James is his ability to see the floor. I've said many times that you can teach a player to pass, but you can't teach him to see. James has court savvy and instincts that can't be taught. Although he obviously was the focal point of his high school team, he also was able to make the players around him better.
Even more impressive than that was his willingness to work with teammates. James is an unselfish player who understands how the game should be played. He will have no problem fitting in with his new teammates, and as a young rookie, he will handle the good-natured hazing with ease.
So far, James has been saying all the right things. He has been confident yet humble, outspoken yet guarded. His mental maturity will serve him well as his every move, both on and off the court, is scrutinized and reported by the media.
I don't know whether the Cavs can make the playoffs or whether James will be Rookie of the Year. What I do know is that in the upcoming NBA season, fans will be treated to a dazzling display of skills from a mature beyond-his-years multimillionaire.
Alas, while LeBron is beginning his exciting career journey, has-beens like myself must find contentment with more mundane pursuits. I'll be filling in all week for James Brown on Sporting News Radio. I only hope I can live up to the lofty expectations.
