Ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season, LeBron James stands tall as the league’s oldest player. Throughout his years dominating the NBA, he has expanded his intelligence on and off the court. The four-time NBA champion doesn’t have to brag about his wits. A simple glance at the 40-year-old’s career and the way he has managed to evolve remains testament to his intellect. However, there was a time when LeBron didn’t think he was smart, so he made sure he at least looked the part.
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It’s crazy to think that LeBron James has dominated the NBA for over half of his life. This upcoming season will be year 23 for the Los Angeles Lakers superstar. He was one of the last players to hear their name called at the NBA Draft straight out of high school.
Life was changing at an astronomical pace for the basketball phenom back then. When James walked across that stage and shook former NBA commissioner David Stern’s hand, he was just 18 years old. The two had lofty aspirations together and didn’t wait for the season to begin working on a few projects.
In 2003, ESPN followed James’ daily routine in an episode of The Life. The camera crew stuck with James during a meeting with Nike, with whom he had signed a sneaker deal. During this meeting, he tried on a pair of glasses for fun, as he intended on investing in a plethora of everyday products.
James wanted his name plastered on everything kids would buy as he saw himself being a role model. Not only was he right, it was also an extremely smart business strategy. But as he tried on the glasses, LeBron made it a point to note that back when he was in high school, he would use them regularly for purposes other than reading.
“During school, I would wear a pair of glasses,” James revealed. “Make me look more intelligent.”
James’ comments reminded everyone in the room and those watching that he was still just a child. There was a certain level of innocence in his response. He proceeded to share a confession, which most likely wasn’t something his mother would’ve liked to hear.
“I’d fall asleep, but at least I got them on. So half of me is there and half of me is not,” James proclaimed. Evidently, he didn’t need to wear glasses to look smart even back then. An 18-year-old kid with enough business acumen to market his products to children already knew what he wanted.
Besides, he always had the grades to go with his excellence on the court.
“I don’t know why he isn’t an egomaniac. He’s down to earth, has fun with his friends, goes to class, and has the grades,” said David Rathz, headmaster of St. Vincent-St. Mary, to the Dallas Morning News..
James held a 3.5 grade-point average, which was on a 4.0 scale, throughout the first nine-week period of the school term. That is an incredible achievement considering outside of school, he had a strict time commitment to perfecting his basketball skills.
LeBron’s life story is truly one straight out of a storybook. However, certainly one that many can take inspiration from. Despite not having all the resources at his disposal, he still turned his life into something great.
