LeBron James has become one of the great talents of this generation. The 16x All-Star, 16x All-NBA player, 4x MVP, and 4x NBA Champion has created for himself a legacy that will stand the test of time — just like some of those that came before him.
In the 80s and 90s, when Bron was growing up, it was guys like Bird, Magic, and Jordan who were blazing their legacies and it’s no secret he was among many who grew up idolizing them. In fact, back in 2002 (a year before James’ debut in the NBA), when he was getting compared to the greats he grew up watching, he shared how much they meant for his career.
“It strikes me with a lot of passion and makes me work even harder to get to the level that Magic, Michael, Bird, Julius, and now that Kobe and Tracy are in the league. Everybody, when they were younger, wanted to fly like Jordan wanted to dish no-look passes like Magic, wanted to jump out of the gym like Julius, wanted to shoot like Bird.
It’s great to be compared to some of the greats and when I look at that, I say ‘I want to be like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.’ not on the court, but off the court.”
2002 interview (@KingJames) talks about the comparison to MJ/Magic, dealing with pressure from the public, and striving for greatness 👑 pic.twitter.com/ky7X0gOeMV
— LeBron James Fans (@LeBronTeam) December 2, 2020
On the court, James is right up there with the best of them. In fact, many already think he’s the greatest basketball player ever. His resume, leadership, and skillset with the basketball certainly make a good case for that.
Off the court, James has found, arguably, even more success. He’s got a strong, loving family, has become an icon for the Black community, and has inserted himself in the conversation of many key issues he feels are currently plaguing the nation. He is making an impact unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
Now, as he approaches his 18th season, he’s continuing to show us all what he is made of — and it should be enough to make both Magic and Jordan proud.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll-Qn4ezlwI
