No human being is untouched by life’s tragedies. LeBron, who has had a tough childhood, has his own share of emotional moments. But he has always found a way to use those to bring a positive change in his life. During the peak of the COVID-19 epidemic when so many lives were lost, the NBA world lost one of its icons, Kobe Bryant, in a helicopter crash. It was a personal loss for LeBron, who took it upon himself to use that pain to motivate himself for his first championship as a Laker.

LeBron James has not received the kind of love and adulation that Magic, Kobe, or Shaq commands in the Laker nation, but he is not far off from that point either. Can it change this season?

That sophomore year in 2002

These days LeBron is on a hot streak in picking the winners of the NFL games. That is one of his things for his Instagram family. LeBron was a great high school footballer, too. He has a very impressive record to second that. But after his junior year, he wasn’t thinking about playing football. And he was away from that sport, until one of his favorite artists, Aaliyah, died in a plane crash. She was only 22. Though her passing devastated LeBron, he also realized that one’s fears should not dictate life, as it could be taken away at any moment. In the below video, Brian Windhorst narrates that episode from LeBron’s life to Mallika Andrews on ESPN. And gives us a peak in the King’s life when he was one of the greatest wide receivers in his high school history.

There are debates about LeBron not becoming an outstanding football player if he had joined the NFL. It is hard to give credence to such arguments, for we know that the King was cut from a different cloth.

The Laker Nation

In year 21, LeBron James is gearing up for his new season as a Laker. He has a superior team, along with a fellow future Hall of Famer in Anthony Davis. If LeBron wins one more title for the Lakers, what would his status among the greats would be?

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Though many mock LeBron’s fourth title by calling it a bubble championship, the truth is it was the toughest one for the King. To be stranded away from loved ones, and to focus on the ultimate goal, requires more than talent. It requires iron grit, and the King possesses it in abundance. Thus his fifth championship dream is not a far cry.

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