When LeBron James was in high school, he was the most intriguing prospect in basketball, and people were buying season tickets and PPV to watch him play.
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LeBron James has already established himself as one of the greatest players in NBA history and is a strong contender for the title of greatest basketball player of all time. Since the Cleveland Cavaliers selected him with the first selection in the 2003 draught after he graduated from high school, the four-time NBA champion has built out an incredible career.
Now, four NBA titles, four NBA Finals MVPs, and four NBA MVPs later, we look back at LeBron James’ high school career, which was one of the most amazing runs in the sport at that level.
Any devoted NBA fan will tell you that LeBron James has done it all during his professional career. In 19 seasons, he has averaged 27 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game.
LeBron James led St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, Ohio, to a state championship as a freshman, averaging 21 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. As a sophomore on a team that won another state title and finished 26-1, LeBron James averaged 25.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 3.8 steals per game.
James continued his remarkable run as a junior. As a sophomore, he was named to the USA Today All-USA First Team (the first sophomore to be selected).
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People could buy season tickets to watch LeBron James’ games on Pay-per-view during his sophomore year
LeBron James had established himself as the top high school basketball player in the country, and he had even expressed interest in entering the 2002 NBA draught. As a junior, he was voted National Player of the Year (the first junior to do so), paving the way for a strong senior season.
Despite concerns over Ohio High School Athletic Association rules after taking a car supplied by his mother and several iconic jerseys from a clothing store as a senior, LeBron James exploded to put up 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game.
James’ high school athletic career was one of the best in sports history, as he was an all-state wide receiver in football.
At St. Vincent-St. Mary, LeBron James became a household figure, appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated and in Slam magazine. Some ‘Fighting Irish’ games were nationally aired by ESPN and were even marketed as pay-per-view packages to subscribers. With the rampant comparisons to Michael Jordan running amuck, it’s interesting to see that MJ was failing to run a Wizards organization and drafting the likes Kwame Brown while ‘the next Jordan’ was commanding $60,000 from a sellout crowd at age 15.
The self-proclaimed king was the hottest commodity in basketball, and it’s no surprise that the entire country wanted to see such a phenomenal talent.
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