A 11-year-old LeBron James’ dreams of becoming a bonafide NBA superstar took a nosedive when his doctor told him he wouldn’t grow beyond 6’3″.
James went for a routine checkup and what he heard wasn’t good news. While he doesn’t remember the name of the doctor, he revealed that the prognosis about his height crushed him.
Per Cleveland.com, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar vividly recalled the doctor telling him that he would grow around 6 feet, 3 inches, and James, who was 5’7″ then was distraught.
“When your idols are Michael Jordan and Penny Hardaway, you’re like [expletive],” James said to cleveland.com in a one-on-one session. “You’re looking on the back of basketball cards and it says M.J. 6-6, Penny Hardaway 6-71/2, Grant Hill 6-8, you’re like, ‘I’m only going to be 6-3? Golly. My dreams are shattered.’ That’s how it made me feel.”
According to the feature, James’ growth spurt saw him reach 6’3″ by the end of his freshman year. Now, he stands at 6’9″ (2.06m), a good six inches more than what was predicted.
LeBron James Believes He Would Still Be The Same Dominating Force Even If He Was A Few Inches Shorter
Not the one to back down from a challenge, or be short of self-confidence, LeBron James believed that he would still be one of the best players to take the hardwood even if he was a few inches shorter.
The forward, who turned 38 last year, but is still one of the more supremely-gifted athletes to play the sport, threw in a few names to better explain his point. Per the site:
“I’ll still be the same player, I’ll just probably be shorter,” James said to cleveland.com. “I’m not sure I’d still have that athleticism as far as how I jump, but as far as my intelligence, my basketball IQ, that wouldn’t have changed at all.”
He further added:
“I don’t know if you jump higher if you’re shorter or not. You do have guys like [Russell] Westbrook, who is not 6’3″. He’s like 6’4″, 6’5″,” James said in a kidding tone while laughing. “And obviously D-Rose in his heyday, boy he was jumping out of the gym. But I would still be a very dominant player in this league just because of my basketball IQ and my drive.”
It goes without saying that size matters in the NBA, and some of the best players to take the hardwood had a significant height and the other physical parameters to dominate. James has both and his height makes him one of the taller modern-day stars.
On the season front, James has been the driving force for the Lakers in Anthony Davis’ absence. At the time of writing, he averages 29.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.6 assists. The Purple and Gold are 17-21 and are placed 12th in the West, hoping to make a surge
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