There is a human side to every story we see around us. The NBA is no different, to say the least. Fiery stars are often the kindest, with close ones holding rare tales. Take LeBron James and  Brian Windhorst as an example. Two alumni brothers from Akron’s St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. While the former turned out to be one of the greatest basketball stars in the world, the other went on to cover the intricacies of the game.

But of course, Windy will always have a story about the Akron Hammer to tell the world. Knowing each other for more than two decades and being friends or maybe acquaintances does give one the liberty to spill the beans some times. So, without hiding much, Brian Windhorst went back to 2007 on The Hoop Collective podcast.

ESPN Insider brings up rare LeBron James encounters from more than a decade ago

Seattle, late tip-off. Jerome James was on the floor, and Windy was on the baseline, racing a midnight deadline. No time to breathe. He had to whip up a “crapper”—a rushed piece, barely worth the ink. The game? Often just as messy. But sitting that close, he felt everything—the sweat, the tension, the unspoken words. It was the first quarter, fingers flying. The story? Probably garbage. But in this business, heart didn’t matter. The clock did. “Jerome James, as all Knicks fans would tell you, had an issue with foul trouble. He wasn’t the most fleet of foot and tended to reach,” Windy narrated.

“Early in the game, in the first quarter, he was whistled for his second foul, which had happened in multiple games in a row,” the ESPN insider continued. Jerome James’s frustration was evident. As the whistle blew, he had his snap. That’s it, he wasn’t taking any of this. Storming to the bench, he grabbed the ball, eyes locked on the advertising table. A split second of fury. He wanted to launch it, make a statement. But would he? No. “There was speed, anger, fear, and force. The ball went above the table, above the laptop, and smashed me square in the face. I was lucky it didn’t break my nose,” Windhorst shared. “It wasn’t gushing blood, but there was blood. More than anything, it shocked the hell out of me.”

Meanwhile, referee Kevin Fehr called the tech. Jerome’s outburst had consequences—mainly for him. The ball? Smacked him square in the face. Twelve feet away, Robert Traylor lost it sitting on the Cavaliers’ bench, laughing so hard he tumbled onto the baseline. But LeBron James, locked in as always, stepped up for the free throw. “He missed it,” the NBA insider narrated. James Sr. missed the FT! “I looked at him. I looked at my dear friend LeBron. He may have thought I contributed nothing, but I took this shot in the face so his team could have a point.”

Recalling another time when LeBron James would go on a free throw spree, Brian Windhorst had another rare encounter. “Back then, we used to talk to him right before the game. We were in Minnesota. I told him, ‘Hey, you’ve made 23 free throws in a row. What’s the story?'” Bron’s alumni brother shared.  “He gave some answer. First quarter, he got fouled. First free throw—brick. Between free throws one and two, he looked over at me and gave me the dirtiest look imaginable.” 

Well, that dirty look was about to come sooner or later. Was Windy the jinx behind LeBron FT misses back in the day? Hilariously, it could be a possibility. However, Windhorst will never forget the contribution Bron has made in his life. It surely isn’t surprising to even know that the 40-year-old Lakers star has been touching lives even before becoming a big name in the league.

Brian Windhorst talks about LeBron’s contribution to his 22 years of NBA reporting

For Windy, LeBron James has been nothing but a muse. He started covering the superstar in 2003 when Bron was making a name at the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was a beat writer for the Akron Beacon till 2008, he moved to ESPN in 2010 after James’s shift to the Miami Heat. Thus, in a latest conversation with ESPN Cleveland, the 47-year-old Akron native expressed his emotional confession on LeBron James.

Having covered him for 22 years, Windy said: “LeBron doesn’t owe me anything. I owe him a lot. He has been a great friend to my hometown and my alma mater—that I would stand on. Anything else, I would never say or stand on. I met LeBron 25 years ago, and my understanding of LeBron and where people stand in his life has been crystal clear for a long time.”

This confession comes after LeBron James recently hit the media with his fiery take on Pat McAfee’s show. But given the respect Brian Windhorst has shown in his confession, it’s clear that his roots with Bron runs deeper than the league.

So, Windy and LeBron—two paths, one bond. From high school halls to NBA arenas, their story runs deeper than headlines. Through free throws, flying basketballs, and a lifetime of moments, Windhorst never forgets that LeBron James changed his life. And maybe, just maybe, he jinxed a few shots along the way.