Fourteen Well before LeBron took the court for his first NBA game, those questions about his destiny were already demanding answers. His first chance for a reply came on the Cavs' summer league team, competing against fellow 2003 draft picks, second-and third-year "veterans" looking to prove themselves worthy of bigger roles, and free-agent wannabes for whom a strong showing might be their only ticket to an NBA contract. And while the high-profile rookies got most of the media attention, it was the presence of those little-used vets and unsigned, borderline pros that made things interesting. While a lottery pick like LeBron could treat this introductory run as a learning experience, many of the players on those summer league rosters were playing for their professional lives. That meant they'd be playing as hard as they could. If he wanted to make a good first impression, LeBron would have to match their intensity. Tipping off two weeks after the draft, the NBA summer leagues run in brief spurts in July at a handful of gyms across the country. Like most teams, the Cavs had entries in two leagues: the five-day Pepsi Pro Summer League in Orlando, and, after a one-day break, the weeklong Reebok Pro Summer League in Boston. Games in the Orlando summer league were usually closed to the public, and this year's games would be, too---with one exception. When Cleveland's team bus arrived at TD Waterhouse Centre that early July evening before a game with the Magic, thousands of fans were waiting, and arena security had to carve a path through the crowd in order for the players and coaches to get inside. This was all about LeBron, and while it was hard to blame league organizers for selling tickets---at a $5 face value, some were being scalped for as much as $80---when they had a draw like King James, there was no good excuse for not telling the Cavs about it beforehand. Eventually, the Cleveland players and coaches would get used to the circus atmosphere. LeBron, of course, already had. He totaled fourteen points, seven rebounds, and six assists in what was technically his NBA debut, a 107--80 exhibition victory. As would be expected of any rookie, his performances were up and down in the remainder of his summer games, but Cavs fans wouldn't complain about the sixteen points LeBron averaged over the course of the two leagues. His summer showing couldn't provide definitive answers to the big questions that NBA observers had about his long-term potential, but as a first impression, it wasn't bad at all. As if preparing to see the curtain raised on his pro basketball career wasn't enough, LeBron was also gearing up for another very lucrative beginning: that of one-man marketing machine. In the weeks leading up to the 2003--04 season, the basketball world would get its first dose of LeBron the sneaker salesman. Already, some argued that there was actually more pressure on LeBron to sell shoes than there was to perform on the court. In truth, it wasn't much of an argument, but since LeBron was the topic, some people paid attention anyway. Shortly before the draft, LeBron had appeared on HBO's On the Record with Bob Costas, and among the questions he fielded from the renowned sports announcer was whether his loyalty to Nike might outweigh his loyalty to his as yet-undetermined NBA team. LeBron's honest response---that Nike already felt like family, and that, of course, he felt a strong sense of duty to a company that was paying him so much money---earned him some criticism, but both the question and the scattered disapproval it inspired were as shortsighted as the jersey controversy had been months earlier. The implication that his commitment to a sneaker company might prevent him from committing completely to his eventual NBA employer was pretty ridiculous. Simply put, the better his team did, the more exposure he---and therefore his signature Nikes---would receive. Of this, there was no better example than the original Nike bank-breaker. If Michael Jordan hadn't won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, his Air Jordans never would've become the iconic (and bestselling) shoe they've remained for two decades. And while Jordan committed a great deal of time to the marketing and development of his sneakers, the best sales pitch he could offer was performing, and winning, on the court. And that wasn't exactly bad for the Bulls, was it? As it was, Nike wasn't the only company paying LeBron to endorse its product. A deal with the Coca-Cola Company led to a series of commercials promoting Sprite, as well as to a signature flavor of the company's POWER ade sports drink, called Flava32. Bubblicious was another natural fit for the gum-popping teenager, and he signed a lucrative sponsorship deal for his own flavor of bubblegum. All these business moves were terrific for LeBron's visibility and bank account, but to the millions of fans and observers who'd come to follow his story, they were little more than side notes. This was about basketball, and the time had come for LeBron to justify the hype. It seems safe to call LeBron James's first regular-season NBA game the most anticipated debut in league history. Given that, it seems even safer to call his performance against the Sacramento Kings on October 29, 2003, one of the most impressive debuts in the history of American sports. Playing on the road, against one of the league's best teams, and facing the same sort of unfathomable pressure he had grown so accustomed to, LeBron scored twenty-five points, handed out nine assists, and hauled in six rebounds in the Cavaliers' 106--92 loss at Sacramento's Arco Arena. The precedent set that night---a terrific individual effort that wasn't quite enough to prevent a defeat---would become the key frustration of LeBron's rookie season, but on this night, the outcome didn't really matter. This was less a game than an event, one for the history books, and as usual, it was all about LeBron. The game's most memorable play, a soaring, fast-break, tomahawk slam of the sort that would quickly become LeBron's signature finish, was soon plastered on posters and magazine covers, instant proof that even in the NBA, his game was as eye-popping as it was ahead of its time. Unfortunately for LeBron, it wasn't enough to get the Cavs a win in the opening week of the 2003--04 season. Twenty-four hours after his remarkable opening game, LeBron somehow outdid himself, going for twenty-one points, twelve rebounds, and eight assists in a loss at Phoenix. His first dose of NBA reality came two nights later, in Portland, where he played his third road game in four nights; anyone thinking the league would cut its young star a break need only see that first-week schedule to know the truth. The effects of that grueling beginning seemed to show in LeBron's performance, as he finished with just eight points on three of twelve shooting and the Cavs fell to 0--3. That was the bad news. The good news? At least they were finally going home. As if making his home debut wasn't enough to draw fans' attention, LeBron arrived at Gund Arena set to square off with Denver Nuggets rookie Carmelo Anthony, his friend, former high school rival, and ready-made NBA foil. With Michael Jordan finally retired, many around the league were convinced that the pairing of 'Bron' and 'Melo' could help make up for Jordan's lost star power, even suggesting that the tandem were the second coming of the storied rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Even more than the individual hype on each player, this was at least premature and maybe even crazy; as good as both already were, to compare them to two of the top ten players in NBA history was too much, too soon. Their play on this night seemed to confirm that fact. "Anticlimactic" would best describe the first meeting between LeBron and Carmelo. Familiar as he was with all the pressure and attention, the perfect storm of distractions and expectations on this night---the national TV audience, his first home game as a pro, and the one-on-one matchup with Carmelo---seemed to affect LeBron. Despite once again flirting with a triple-double, he actually had a mediocre night, making just three of eleven shots and finishing with seven points, eleven rebounds, and seven assists. Carmelo was only slightly better, scoring a quiet fourteen points, but his Nuggets escaped with a 93--89 victory that dropped the Cavs to 0--4. Back on the road two nights later, Cleveland suffered a heartbreaking one-point loss to Indiana. LeBron bounced back strong with twenty-three points, but once again, it wasn't enough. As early as those first five losses, the weaknesses in his nonetheless dazzling game were undeniable: He arguably shot too much (thirty-seven attempts in his first two games) and definitely shot too wildly, going a combined six of twenty-three in the losses to Portland and Denver. Turnovers were an issue, too: his near triple-double against Phoenix was actually a near quadruple-double since he committed seven turnovers in the game, a number he matched against Indiana. Finally, in his second home game and sixth overall, LeBron James felt the joy of an NBA victory. The Cavs' 111--98 victory over Washington on November 8 won't be remembered for much more than that, but LeBron's seventeen points, nine assists, and eight rebounds---another near triple-double, and hardly the last of his rookie season---were impressive enough. He got a taste of his first NBA winning streak two nights later, when another seventeen-point night led Cleveland to a 94--80 win over the Knicks. The rest of November was up-and-down, but mostly the latter: back-to-back losses, another pair of home wins, and then a string of six straight losses that grew to eight by early December. After a ten-point road loss to the Clippers, the Cavs stood at 4--15, and they had lost all twelve games away from home. As expected, LeBron had struggled with inconsistency but showed more than a few flashes of brilliance; his best game thus far was a thirty-three-point, sixteen-rebound, seven-assist effort in an overtime loss to Memphis. Four nights later, against the Clippers, he shot an embarrassing two of thirteen and finished with more turnovers (five) than points. Things got better in December, though. The Cavs won six of thirteen games through the end of the year, including their first road win, at Philadelphia on December 19. LeBron posted a career-high thirty-six points in that 88--81 victory over the Sixers, the momentum of which carried Cleveland to consecutive road wins and three in a row overall. A nationally televised Christmas Day matchup with fellow preps-to-pro star Tracy McGrady and the Orlando Magic ended that modest streak, and while McGrady's stellar play gave him the victory and an edge in the personal battle of young stars, LeBron was nonetheless impressive, scoring thirty-four points. Five days later, he celebrated his nineteenth birthday. Two months into his rookie season, LeBron's strengths and weaknesses were becoming ever more clear. The knocks on his shooting were proving somewhat justified, both in his accuracy and his shot selection. For someone strong and athletic enough to get to the basket at will, he too often settled for long jump shots, and those questionable choices, combined with the inconsistency of his shooting form, cost him. Already there had been too many nights on which he shot under forty percent from the field; accordingly, his rate of success from three-point range was even worse. There were still too many turnovers, including three games in which he had more turnovers than assists. Relatively high turnover numbers were to be expected of a player who handled the ball as much as LeBron did, but he'd have to cut down nonetheless. Finally, there was his defense: a hard thing to quantify, no doubt, but the scouts, coaches and opponents who watched him knew his man-to-man defense left a great deal of room for improvement. This was the bad news, and the good news is that it wasn't so bad at all. Every one of those weaknesses listed was correctable, each something LeBron could and almost certainly would improve upon. Repetition would straighten out that jump shot, and experience would teach him when to drive the lane instead. The turnovers would be minimized, most nights, because the trial and error of an NBA season would gradually sharpen his already precise decision-making skills---and anyway, as his points and assists inevitably went up, those turnovers wouldn't hurt so bad, anyway. And defense? That was all about hard work and desire, and LeBron's history showed he was familiar with both concepts. Asked about his progress for a SLAM cover story published that spring, LeBron spoke about the challenge of adapting to life in the NBA. "The game is more fun now than it was at the beginning of the season," he said. "I know I can play my game now. In the beginning I was holding back, trying to feel what the team wanted me to do. I mean, I knew I could make an impact, but I just had to wait for the team to say, 'You're our leader now.' I think I've gained some respect in the league, and that's all I wanted." Of that, there was no question. Through New Year's, LeBron had averaged a shade over twenty points per game, and he was doing more than scoring. In a late-December defeat of the Blazers he came closer than ever to an elusive triple-double: thirty-two points, ten rebounds, and nine assists. He continued his strong play into, January, his numbers good enough that he could make a strong case for an invite to the 2004 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles. A sprained right ankle that kept him out of three games in late January didn't help his cause, but his youth and a glut of strong perimeter players in the Eastern Conference were the biggest reasons LeBron was left off the team. It would arguably be the only time he was overlooked all season. LeBron continued to stake his claim to a place among the league's elite, going for thirty-eight points against Washington on February 1, then scoring thirty-two against the Lakers three nights later. By the time All-Star weekend rolled around in mid-February, LeBron was the talk of the league despite not participating in the weekend's namesake event. Instead, he would compete in the annual Rookie-Sophomore Challenge, a game pitting the top first-year players against a group of second-year standouts. If this was the only way he could make his mark on the weekend, he'd make the most of it. NBA All-Star weekends are known as much for the countless parties that accompany the event as for anything that happens on the basketball court. Needless to say, the social scene in Los Angeles was a memorable one, with the annual NBA Players Association bash and various shoe-company parties topping the list of must-attend events. Among these was the invitation-only Reebok party, held at a cavernous former movie studio. Those who made it past the maze of security and had their invites confirmed found themselves bumping into the likes of Paris Hilton, Dennis Rodman, P. Diddy, and hundreds of less-famous Hollywood types, as well as a steady stream of current NBA players. None emanated more buzz upon entering than LeBron. Flanked by his usual Akron crew, a handful of Nike execs and a couple of stern-looking bodyguards, LeBron looked almost timid as he made his way through the star-gazing crowd. Without a doubt, he would've preferred to make less of a scene, but the packed house meant an entourage was a must, at least until he could reach the relative safety of the VIP area, where his friend Jay-Z would eventually make an appearance. This, to borrow a line from Jay-Z, was the gift and the curse of LeBron's celebrity: Just nineteen years old, he could chill in roped-off comfort at one of the hottest parties of the year, but he couldn't mingle with the general population without the constant risk of hassle. Even now, though, he wouldn't claim. As he'd said in high school and reiterated in that most recent SLAM cover story, "I created the hype myself by playing the way I play." The way he played in the Rookie Challenge was just one more reminder of what LeBron meant. Treating the game as his personal showcase, LeBron totaled thirty-three points, five rebounds, six assists, and a slew of highlights as the "game" became an impromptu dunk contest in the final minutes. Afterward, there were grumblings in the press, and even a rebuke from NBA commissioner David Stern, that such a display was frowned upon and wouldn't be tolerated again. But for those fans who tuned into the All-Star festivities hoping for a glance at the game's future, those highlights were as good as it got. The regular season resumed a few days later, on February 18, with the Cavs eager to improve on their 20--33 start. Even with two months left in the season, Cleveland knew the playoffs were a long shot at best; but, for a franchise that had won just seventeen games the previous season, every win from that point on counted as improvement. Over the ensuing four weeks, that improvement would come rolling in like a tidal wave. The Cavs finished February winning four of six games after the All-Star break---including three in a row over the Spurs, Knicks, and Hornets---and LeBron totaled at least thirty points and ten rebounds in two of those victories. They opened March with a road loss to the Bulls then took advantage of a relatively painless stretch of their schedule to reel off seven straight victories. Suddenly, Cleveland stood at 31--36, just a few games out of play-off contention in the bottom-heavy Eastern Conference, and the idea of "building for next season" was replaced by the unlikely battle cry: "Why not this season?" Alas, the Cavs' dreams of riding their nineteen-year-old star rookie into the play-offs were dashed when veteran point guard Jeff McInnis was injured at the end of the winning streak. It was McInnis who had taken some of the load off LeBron, and when he missed most of the next two weeks, the Cavs faltered. LeBron was still productive, but not nearly as efficient as Cleveland lost four straight and eleven of its next twelve games; the lone bright spot came in a 107--104 win over the Nets, in which LeBron had one of his best games to date, tallying season highs of forty-one points and thirteen assists. With McInnis back in April and the team playing for pride, Cleveland won its final three games to finish the season at 35--47, just one game out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. That final victory, a ten-point defeat of the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, allowed the Cavs to more than double their win total from the previous season and gave the franchise its best finish since 1998. For LeBron, the list of honors and accomplishments is almost too long to list. He became the youngest NBA player ever to score 1,000 points, and one of three rookies ever to average at least twenty points, five rebounds, and five assists; that the others were Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson, arguably the two most complete players in league history, further emphasized what an accomplishment it was. He also led the Cavs in scoring, steals, and minutes played, and despite some compelling arguments on behalf of Carmelo Anthony---whose stats were slightly less impressive but whose team made the playoffs---LeBron was a deserving choice for 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year. It was only one season, but given his individual numbers, his team's improvement, and the respect he'd earned around the NBA, the consensus seemed to be that not only had LeBron justified the titanic expectations, but in some ways he'd actually managed to surpass them. Looking back, the year-old proclamation from that ESPN.com columnist glowed like a misplaced beacon in the sea of predictions for LeBron's career: "The best King James can ever be is an average NBA player." The truth, of course, was that LeBron had surpassed "average" on the first night of his professional career. For much of the rest of his rookie season, he was extraordinary. Copyright (c) 2003 by Ryan Jones Excerpted from King James: Believe the Hype---the Lebron James Story by Ryan Jones All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
