LeBron James was arguably the best NBA prospect of all time ahead of his drafting into the NBA. Despite being a mere high schooler, James had surreal expectations riding on his shoulders. Giving in to the hype, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected the 6-foot-9 Forward with their 1st Pick of the 2003 Draft. Proving his worth right from the get-go, LBJ put up a sensational performance in his first official appearance for the Illinois side. Playing against the Orlando Magic in his Summer League debut, the 18-year-old propelled the Cavs to a win while receiving comparisons to Magic Johnson from his teammates.
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LeBron James was receiving quite a bit of media attention long before he arrived in Cleveland. After all, the prodigy was expected to be the next big thing in basketball. However, his teammates didn’t seem to appreciate all the hype surrounding the teenager. A few players on the roster made it clear that they believed they didn’t need LeBron to be successful. Darius Miles was one of the stars who spoke against the King. But, to his credit, Miles did later go back on his word and revealed the importance of James on that squad.
LeBron James received comparisons to Magic Johnson from Darius Miles
LeBron James didn’t disappoint in his highly-anticipated Summer League debut. Playing 23 minutes against the Orlando Magic, the Small Forward recorded 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, leading the Cavs to a 107-80 blowout win.
Bron’s impressive display resulted in several personalities from the basketball world praising him. However, no praise could top Darius Miles’ postgame comments. Lauding his new teammate, D-Miles called LeBron an “athletic Magic Johnson”. As seen in The New York Times article, Miles was in awe of LeBron’s athleticism.
“James provided plenty of evidence as to why he has already evoked memories of a similar-size point guard who is considered among the game’s greats. “LeBron is an athletic Magic Johnson,” Miles said.”
Darius Miles’ comparison to Magic Johnson wasn’t inaccurate. Even though James could score the ball at will, he is known for his playmaking, high basketball IQ, and pin-point passing, traits that Johnson was most known for.
In the 2003-04 NBA Regular season, James lodged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. Helping the Ohio side improve their record from 17 wins in the previous season to 35 wins, LeBron was awarded the 2004 Rookie of the Year award.
20 years later, LeBron broke the NBA’s all-time scoring record
For the next 20 years, LeBron James treated his body like a temple and performed at the highest level. Dominating the league as only a few others before him could, the King ended up winning it all – four Most Valuable Player awards, four titles, and four Finals MVPs.
However, earlier this year, Bron achieved one of the most prestigious feats in the NBA. Surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Los Angeles Lakers megastar became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Magic Johnson even claimed that Jabbar wouldn’t handle James’ accomplishment too well. Irrespective, this now seems like a record that will not be broken for several years to come.
