With NBA Summer League currently going on, fans are getting a glimpse at the superstars of tomorrow taking their first steps in professional basketball. Oftentimes, the Summer League is a great opportunity for players to get a good glimpse of what competitive NBA basketball is like, and help give them an introduction to the league.
Because the Summer League is held during the offseason and mostly involves the rookie and sophomore prospects of any team, there isn’t normally a great deal of fanfare involved.
But when LeBron James was making his debut in the NBA Summer League, it was a sight to behold. In 2003, James was the most hyped NBA prospect in a long time. LeBron was featured on magazine covers, had his high school games broadcast on national television, and was the most sought-after athlete in the country.
James entered the 2003 NBA Draft and was selected first overall by his home team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. And thus began the journey of LeBron James in the NBA.
James got his first taste of professional basketball at the 2003 NBA Summer League. The Summer League was held in Orlando at the time, and tickets for James’ first game sold out, something that was very rare for Summer League games at the time.
His head coach at the time, Paul Silas was confident enough to let him play 30 minutes. James put on a solid performance in his opening game in the Summer League, showing what he can do.
James would go on to make his proper NBA debut during the 2003-04 season, bursting on the scene as a superstar from the moment he got to the court. And since then, he has become a bonafide superstar and one of the greatest NBA players of all time.
James has won four MVP titles, four NBA Championships, and four Finals MVPs. On top of this, James is a 17-time NBA All-Star and a multiple-time All-NBA and All-Defensive player. James had a lot of hype coming into the league, and he more than lived up to all the hype around him.
