When the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA championship, the thought that ran through everyone’s mind was, “We finally did it.” It had been more that 50 years since Cleveland has bought home a major sports championship. The pride that we felt as the people of Northeast Ohio resonated throughout the United States, because we have finally achieved something that we thought was not possible. We owe it all to our most valuable player, Lebron James, who, without his dedication, wouldn’t have led us here. David Giffels acknowledges his iconic status in his book, “The Hard Way on Purpose.” He appeals through the use of allusion and his knowledge of James through his eyes to get his point across. Near the beginning, Giffels refers to James’ life as a Homeric epic. With the struggles in his life, Giffels sums it up as, “humble beginnings; burden of expectation; killer biceps; purpose- driven departure; grand quest; home, home, home, home, home; daddy issues; failure of pride.” Despite that, Lebron James is living the American Dream. He came up from a poor …show more content…
The fame and attention he got was startling for the many locals in Akron. Giffels began to question, “Who was he? Who were we? Were we him? Was he us? Could this be what we’ve been longing for lo these many years?” As Giffels begins to observe James more and more during the awards ceremony, James was described as an awkward kid, but Giffels understood that James was a changing boy, who would make sacrifices for the better, like “a young man being fitted for a tuxedo, trying on a shell that didn’t seem natural yet, but one that he was willing to grow into.” To any other person in Akron at that time, they would’ve described James as an “awkward” but humble kid, who, although at the time was not the greatest public speaker, was appreciative of his teammates and gave his thanks to all of those who helped him along the
Kevin’s humble beginnings begin at the University of Texas, where he made his staple as a longhorn.
Lebron James has once said, “You have to be able to accept failure to get better”. Lebron James has accomplished many things in his life. Lebron James is a NBA all star. He is know by “King James” and people usually think of him as the greatest basketball player in the world. I am going to be telling you about his accomplishments and his downfalls when he did not quit on himself.
By contrasting a player’s ardent exuberance for basketball with his xxx disappointment in the poem “American Hero,” Essex Hemphill reveals the athlete’s conflict between his enthusiasm for the game and his resentment toward his superficial fans. For instance, the author emphasizes the player’s fervent frame of mind, “[having] nothing to lose... / I let the tension go. / Shoot for the net. / I slam it through...” (Hemphill 1, 8-9, 11-12). Hemphill illustrates the competitor’s energetic passion for basketball by describing his game-winning skills and slick athleticism. In contrast, the poet depicts the player’s resentfulness toward the cheering mass as he muses “I scored / thirty-two points this game / and they love me for it” (13-15). Despite
Three time NBA champion, Lebron James in his interview, “Lebron: I’m coming back to Cleveland” notes that he is returning to Cleveland after his four years in Miami after abandoning Cleveland in 2010. He supports his claim by first stating his feelings for Ohio, and what Ohio meant to him. Secondly, he explains why he abandoned Cleveland, and it was because of winning championships. Lastly, he promises Cleveland that he will give it his all to bring Cleveland’s championship drought to an end. James’ purpose is to prove to Cavalier fans that somewhere in his heart he still has a place for Ohio in order to convince the fans to believing in him once more. He establishes an enthusiastic tone for his fans, and Cavalier
Indiana loves its basketball. When driving throughout the state, basketball hoops are part of the scenery, dotting thousands of barn doors, garage doors, and driveways along the way. Hoosiers are passionate about this sport. In the book, Drive the Story of my Life, by Larry Bird with Bob Ryan, talks about his life growing up in Indiana and his storied career as a basketball player. Bird was born into a hard-working, lower class family in West Baden Springs, Indiana. Throughout his life Larry Bird was fueled by hard work and perseverance to become one of the greatest basketball players of our time.
Lebron James and Kobe Bryant are two of the most explosive players in the NBA today. Each player has his own playing style that separates him from the rest of the league. Both players have their own career achievements, endorsements, and personal life stories behind the game. If you ask anybody, the comparison between these two players is great. It is a never ending debate between who is better because both players have something different to bring to the table. Side by side on paper, both players seem dominant and may one day end up in the basketball hall of fame. But as individuals, side by side, each has a different but similar life.
Michael Jordan is considered to be the most iconic person in sports history. Since 2002, Lebron James has been compared not only to be the next Michael Jordan but also having the potential of being a better basketball player than him. Some basketball fans might agree and some might disagree, but at the end of the day everyone will have their own opinion of who is better than whom. Lebron James and Michael Jordan do have many things in common even though they play different positions in the national basketball association. They both can dominate the court with their leadership, their skills, and their strength. Surprisingly, there are just as many differences as there are similarities between the
Michael Jordan, in his prime, was thought of as one of the greatest basketball champions of all time. A shooting guard, standing at six-six, Jordan was able to out play anyone in his position. He started his career at the University of North Carolina, where he helped his team win a national championship. He then was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the 1984-85 season. While playing for the Bulls, Jordan received many awards such as, MVP, five championships, Olympic gold medals, slam dunk contests, and many more defensive and offensive awards. Jordan simply dominated the nineties and left the game as a NBA Finals winner in 1998.
Lebron James, the first pick taken in this year’s draft, may be the prototype for an athlete having immediate fame and wealth by jumping straight to the NBA. Almost undoubtedly, he has set the bar for years to come. Before he even played in an actual NBA game, he already had his own commercial and shoe deals. When he was a senior in high school, ESPN and ESPN2 were already publicizing his regular season games whenever they had the chance. Amazingly, as a junior in high school, he was already being considered the next Michael Jordan (Broussard).
When people think of NBA (National Basketball Association) greats many names come to mind like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Lebron James, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. But one name tops this list and that name is Michael Jordan. His skills are extraordinary with a unique style NBA fans have ever seen. He was and all-around legend who could score without giving any effort. He is the best defensive guard to walk the earth he has the best on-ball defense forcing steals and blocking people's shots with skills like this no doubt he's the Greatest of All-Time.
December 21, 1891- The birth of basketball. It has been changed from simply shooting a soccer ball into a peach basket to dunking a seven pound, leather ball into an iron rim. In the early years of the game, basketball was not as popular as other sports. In the 1985 NBA draft all this would change with the emergence of a 6'6" basketball phenomenon from Wilmington, North Carolina. Although going third in the draft, he recreated the game and is known as the best player to ever touch a basketball; he is Michael Jordan.
LeBron James was born December 30, 1984 in a poor neighborhood in Akron, Ohio (Smithwick 6). His mother gave birth to him when she was 16 and still in high school (Smithwick 6). All this goes back to how he was born in a
Michael Jordan was born on February 17, 1963 in Brooklyn, New York, and when he was still a toddler, his parents moved to Wilmington, North Carolina.
As it stands today, Kobe Bryant is the best basketball player to have ever played the game. Some argue that Michael Jordan was better, but he was not. Some argue that Lebron James is better, but he is not. To compare him to the men who played the center position is a waste of time. Obviously Shaquille O’Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar were more dominant. They were freaks of nature. What Kobe had that set him apart from everyone else was a skill set and mentality that is unmatched. Kobe is the best player first and foremost because he was a Los Angeles Laker for twenty years. Some may say that my bias towards Kobe as a Laker fan discredits my argument, but it does not.
Central Idea: LeBron James is the best basketball player by his scoring ability, his athleticism, and his world-class defense.