LeBron James’ path to NBA’s scoring champ

(News4usonline) – As much incredible talent as there is in the NBA, it is rare to see a true legend take over the game of basketball. The athletes that accomplish legendary status are only seen once in a generation. There are plenty of great ball players, but not all of them have greatness beaming off them.

LeBron James has impacted the game of basketball through his legacy with his advanced skill, personality, and passion. He has hit milestone after milestone and broken record after record. He has continued to show us that he will not slow down anytime soon. At age 38 and his 20th year in NBA, James hit his best numbers and broke Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s all-time scoring record.

He is one of the only athletes ever to age like fine wine; pushing the boundaries of his body to continue to be the star player we have witnessed during this generation. The league’s scoring record was previously held by Abdul-Jabbar for 38 years, 10 months, and two days.

 Many people believed the record would never be broken. It had to be someone at some point, and I am sure no one is surprised it was James to cross the finish line.

Rewinding back 20 years, James did an interview at age 17 when everyone was already comparing him to the greats: Kobe Bryant, Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, and Michael Jordan. James said in the interview that it would be amazing if he were the athlete everyone would compare up-and-coming guys to in the future. Fast forward to the present and that is exactly what he is.

 He is the prototype, the example, the beacon of talent at the top of the tower no one else can reach. ‘King James’ sat in his thrown and received a crown no one can take from him. At one point in time, James was simply a basketball player. Before people realized he would go down in history as one of the greatest of all time.

Obviously, this ‘one point’ lasted about a second. His extraordinary talent was noticed almost immediately. From then on, he turned the game of basketball into something people have never seen. He brought his speed, strength, and agility to the court throughout his career and exhibited his skills on each team he has been a part of.

James has been a prodigy since he was young and was scouted at an early age for a reason. During his high school career at Akron’s St. Vincent-St. Mary, James was named Ohio’s Mr. Basketball and led the team to three state championships. In his junior year, he gained attention from all over the U.S. after being on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The famous magazine labeled him “The Chosen One.” Now we know their words came true.

He was the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft chosen by the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his first year at age 19, James lived up to the hype and expectations, receiving the NBA Rookie of the Year Award and averaging 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. From there, he led Cleveland to the conference finals in the 06-07 season.

In Game 5, he earned an unbelievable 48 points. This game is one of the most prominent memories of James’ career. When James played for Miami, he took the team to the NBA finals from 2011-2014. With his leadership, the team took two consecutive championships in 2012 and 2013. Outside of championships, James set new records for himself and for Miami including 61 points in a single game against the Charlotte Bobcats on March 3 in 2014.

Now stationed in Los Angeles, we see James make groundbreaking moves daily. He led L.A. to an NBA championship. He was an NBA Finals MVP, and a five-time NBA All-Star. He made the All-NBA First Team, and All-NBA Second Team. He is a leader in NBA assists and is now the NBA all-time scoring leader. With all these accomplishments, including the recent career point record, the million dollar question is how has he accomplished this much success?

And how has he not slowed down? It could be the fact James claims to not pay attention to the records he is breaking or the astonishing stats he obtains. Maybe this is a good strategy not to get psyched out of the game. It could be the fact that he is a determined being due to his love of the game. This could be where he gets his passion and drive.

It could be the fact that James is blessed with a gift, and we are all blessed to be able to watch him play the game of basketball. No matter the answer, “King James” has changed the game of basketball forever and continues to keep us guessing how much farther he can go.