There are quite a few players in the league who did not come from the best of conditions before making it into the NBA. Some came from broken families, growing up without mothers or fathers and facing numerous other adversities in the hopes of making their dreams come true. Facing the very same situation, an 18-year-old LeBron James was interviewed by Bob Costas. Today, upon the incident resurfacing, the questions themselves have received quite the reaction from the NBA community.
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Raised by a single mother, LeBron James really overcame a lot of hurdles and adversities to become the face of the league. But a resurfaced video of an initial interview with legendary sports commentator, Bob Costas has many X users fuming over what the interview was about and what it turned out to be.
Bob Costas opened up the interview in question, by talking about LeBron James growing up without a father. He even took a subliminal shot at the Late Paul Silas, who Costas mentioned as the coach of choice for being a father figure to a young LBJ.
Costas went on to take another shot at James when he referred to parental figures reappearing in the kid’s life when they have made it big and have gained fame and popularity, along with making a fortune as well.
It was beyond impressive to see an 18-year-old LeBron James keeping his composure when being asked such questions on national television. In response, James simply credited his mother, Gloria as both the mother and the father figure in his life.
One of the most outrageous things Bob Costas said is, “There have been various stories that your biological father may be in prison or he may, in fact, be dead, he may have been shot some 10 years ago. Do you have a curiosity about that?”
James could be seen smirking at Costas’ questions about his father. As LBJ tried to steer the conversation away from his father, Costas decided to immediately bring it back by asking, “So, if this guy is still around and if eventually, he shows up, have you thought about how that might go?”
To see a young King maintain his demeanor and answer his questions with such poise truly does deserve recognition. After recognizing just this aspect of the then-18-year-old, fans on X then went on a spree of lambasting Costas for his actions.
Fans come to LeBron James’ aid
Bob Costas’ resurfaced video of the interview with 18-year-old LeBron James has a lot of fans on social media calling out the veteran sports commentator. While they call out Costas, many are praising James for the way he handled the interview as well. One fan tweeted,
“This dude is really a f**kin lunatic. You know how disciplined you have to be to answer these h*e a** questions at 18 like a man and play 21 NBA SEASONS as the face of the league and never fumble? Regular mf can’t fathom no sh*t like this man.”
While another fan commented,
“Bron is a master of controlling his focus, head space, and his energy. There is a reason he never acknowledges Skip Bayless and rarely references haters. @KingJames is a genius who is also gifted with unbelievable athleticism. This clown reporter tried so hard to manipulate a negative emotion out of Bron. Only to be defeated by an 18 yr old who was too mentally strong to allow himself to be triggered by a bad actor. LeGoat.”
A few years after making it into the league, LeBron James once went on to address his absent father on social media through a post. He even talked about it in an interview with Rachel Nichols.
James went on to mention how his father’s absence made him into what he is today. And it was due to his father’s absence that he became so tough mentally. It surely wasn’t easy but King James surely made the most of it over the past 21 years.
