LeBron James was one of the most hyped prospects when entering the NBA. There’s no doubt that he has been heavily scouted since high school, and he was the consensus No. 1 pick in 2003.
During his rookie year, LeBron James faced a number of challenges. He had to build up the culture for the Cleveland Cavaliers as a rookie:
“Definitely culture first, and then if you can blend that with the talent and the right pieces, it literally it’s the gateway to being successful for a long period of time. I can go back to when I was drafted at 18 and made my debut with Cleveland. You know, there wasn’t any culture. You know, and that’s no knock on anybody that was there or whatever the case may be, but there was no culture. And I felt like it was my job as an 18-year-old to try to build the culture, which is kind of unfair, but it is what it is. You know, to try to build the culture, to make it seem like or make it feel like it could be something special.”
There’s no doubt that as a No. 1 pick and highly touted prospect, LeBron James was under a lot of pressure. However, it seems as though the superstar was not bothered by the noise as a rookie.
LeBron James Felt No Outside Pressure As A Rookie
In an interview in 2003, LeBron James was asked about how he would handle the pressure to succeed. LeBron James claimed that he was under no pressure, as he is doing what he loves doing, which is playing basketball.
In 2003, 18-year-old LeBron James signed a $90 million deal with Nike.
He was asked about how he would handle the pressure to succeed:pic.twitter.com/nOngyrCQTK
— Jon Erlichman (@JonErlichman) October 12, 2020
No pressure. No pressure at all. I’ve been getting pressure since I was 10 years old… I’m doing something I love to do, and that is play the game of basketball.
I’m doing the same thing that y’all love to do, and y’all like watch me play the game of basketball.
If I asked y’all the same question y’all gonna say the same thing. Is there any pressure to ask me these questions? No pressure because y’all know how to do what y’all do right.
Obviously, when one is doing something that one loves and is proficient at, all the pressure goes away. It is clear that the pressure did not affect LeBron James’ performances over the course of his career, as the star became one of the most accomplished players in the game.
As of right now, LeBron James is likely getting ready to begin the season with the Los Angeles Lakers. It will be interesting to see how well they do next year, and if they get to the playoffs, they will have the chance to make a deep run due to LeBron James being on the roster.
