When LeBron James began his NBA career, many saw the young phenom as the potential successor to the legendary Michael Jordan as he was set to take over as the face of the NBA. But James didn’t necessarily see it that way.
As LeBron James prepared for his record-setting 20th All-Star game this weekend, he opened up about how he saw himself in comparison to Michael Jordan as he entered the NBA.
“When I came into the league, I didn’t look at myself as the face of anything,” James said Sunday before the game according to ESPN. “I didn’t look at myself as the next Michael [Jordan], or the successor to Michael. When I came into the league, the first thing I thought about was, ‘I have to start over now.’
“I had built my rep in high school from my freshman year to my senior year, from being a 14-year-old freshman that was 6-2, 180 pounds and I was like, ‘OK, well how can I make a name for myself at St. Vincent-St. Mary’s,’ all the way to my senior year where I was the No. 1 player in the country. And that’s the same thing I did when I got drafted.”
Obviously, James did make a name for himself and became the face of the NBA. He’s even in the conversation as the greatest player of all time along with Jordan. But started with him simply “starting over” as he said.
[ESPN]
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