‘Genius’ LeBron James’ High School Coach Keith Dambrot Once Evoked Michael Jordan’s Assertiveness to Defend 6ft 9″ Superstar

LeBron James is currently one of the greatest players in the NBA. He recently surpassed Kareem-Abdul Jabbar in leading the all-time player points tally. While this indeed is a remarkable feat, many other skills and talents make LeBron James a genius in his field. Coach Keith Dambrot was the high school basketball team coach for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in  Akron, Ohio. He led the Fighting Irish to a 69-10 record and molded LeBron into the star that he is now. Under him, James and the team won two consecutive state championships and were ranked nationally.

During the 2017 NBA Finals series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Kevin Durant-led Golden State Warriors, Dambrot appeared in the ESPN show First Take, adding some exciting comments on LeBron’s then performance. He called James a ‘genius’ for his leadership skills and creativity, even accrediting him a different level of assertiveness than Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. Although the Cavs lost the series 4-1 to the Warriors, LeBron was praised for his clutch and game-winning abilities, which had led his team to several NBA Finals.

Coach Keith Dambrot compared LeBron James’ assertiveness to that of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant

Coach Keith Dambrot was proud to see his pupil shining on the biggest stage in the NBA. Appearing in ESPN’s First Take, Dambrot was all defensive about LeBron James and talked about his development to be one of the greatest of all time.

He praised LeBron James’ leadership and skills, allowing every player around him to grow and be their best. When Stephen A. Smith questioned LeBron’s assertiveness for Game 4 of the series. Especially due to his hesitation to answer the press, Dambrot quickly compared him to Jordan and Kobe Bryant. James’ coach agreed that LeBron had not allowed his talent to isolate him, like in the case of Jordan and Bryant. Speaking of the same, he said:

“I think obviously, he has to be assertive now. He’s going to be assertive in a different way than Kobe and Michael. And people can pick and choose and say ‘Hey he could pass this one or shoot this one.’ But, LeBron is always going to make the right basketball play. He’s always going to make the play that he thinks is appropriate at the right time and it might be a different set of ways he does it versus Michael or Kobe. They may be a little more score oriented, he maybe a little bit more like Magic Johnson, and be pass-oriented.” 

Indeed, coach Dambrot’s prediction was true. Cavs would win their only game in the series in the next match. However, that match was stunning in terms of stats for LeBron. He went on to tally his ninth triple-double with 31 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists – checking in all the boxes pointed out by Dambrot.

LeBron had surpassed Magic Johnson in most triple-doubles in the series. He had also surpassed Michael Jordan in terms of third all-time in points scored in the Finals. The Cavs won that game 137-116, showing LeBron’s assertiveness.

Golden State Warriors would win the series against Cleveland Cavaliers

Despite the Warriors winning the series 4-1, it was disappointing that the Cavs couldn’t secure consecutive NBA titles. However, from Game 4 onwards, they fiercely challenged Kevin Durant and his team, putting up an impressive fight. The outstanding performances of Kyrie Irving and LeBron James contributed to their strong performance, leading to some remarkable statistics.

It is worth noting that LeBron later secured another championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. This brought his total to four championship rings across his career.