Lebron And The Cleveland Cavaliers Case Study

Imagine you are in the stands of a Miami Heat game watching the greatest player of the game Lebron James play. One minute you see in chasing down a defender to block him. Then next you see him running a fast break down the court flying through the air. Are you thinking that could be MJ? The answer would be no, because according to Lebron he is not MJ he is LJ.

While James was in high school he excelled in two sports, football and his more known sport, basketball. LeBron excelled greatly in football, he was named All-State wide receiver in his sophmore year (Smithwick 10). His mom was worried about James and wanted him to quit football, so he wouldn’t get hurt. Later he broke his finger in a football game and his mother made him quit. When he was in high school, James made the rounds of the postseason all-star games, and he earned most valuable player of the year award at the McDonald’s High School All-American Game (Newsmakers B2). LeBron wanted to skip his senior year to enter into the NBA draft, but was against NBA rules, so he returned to high school now the most famous high school player. Even before James entered the NBA draft he had already signed a $90 million contract with the brand Nike (Contemporary C4). LeBron James entered the NBA draft in the summer of 2003, and was selected by the "struggling to make it in the NBA" Cleveland Cavaliers (Smithwick 14). The three year contract that James signed with the Cavaliers amounted to nothing beside the more than $100 million in endorsement contracts he has signed with Nike, Sprite, Powerade, Upper Deck Cards, and Bubblicious bubble gum. If it was anybody's guess, they would have said that James was going to play poorly in his first year, but he proved them wrong, everybody wrong. He was named rookie

Kobe came into the league in the most ideal scenario; he was picked by a big market, star studded, rich organization, the Los Angeles Lakers. To add to that, Kobe had 0 pressure due to the other superstar in town, Shaquille O’Neal. Kobe would be the robin to Shaq’s Batman, and by doing so, Kobe would have 3 championships in a row. In historical context, on the NBA’s chess board, Kobe was a knight; he was important but they could do without him. Kobe did not become an important piece until in his ninth year, when he was stranded with NBA journeymen. Comparing them to his old teammates was like comparing minute maid orange juice to Dom Perignon champagne. So, Kobe was granted permission to do whatever he wanted with the basketball in his hands, which lead to his average points per game going up, and his shooting efficiency to go down. LeBron however, was not drafted into success with no pressure and a Batman like Kobe was; he was the most anticipated basketball player ever, expected to lift a team, rather a city, whom had not won a sports championship since 1964, out from the ashes and into the limelight,at the age of 18. Unlike Kobe, Lebron had all the pressure to live up to his prophecy from the moment he stepped on the NBA’s basketball court and he did not disappoint. In fact, LeBron put up stats never before seen from a player so young, changing NBA history in the process. At 19, he

Lebron has accomplished many things due to him not quitting. Lebron James has been the most valuable player four times in his 14 year NBA career. He has been in many all star games. He is from Akron Ohio, and he was drafted into the NBA straight out of high school. Lebron had caught a cramp in the NBA finals, but he did not give up and he kept playing, and he went

Just having LeBron James – the biggest name and superstar in the NBA – come back to Cleveland after leaving for Miami four years ago was a big boost, not just emotionally but also economically for the city. But the deeper the Cavs’ run in the postseason went, the better

However, James decides to leave the Heat and went back to his hometown, Cleveland. Since then, Wade and Bosh carried the Heat franchise and lead the team to playoff appearances but never gone further. And now that Wade leaves the team and Bosh not cleared to play because of his health condition, the Heat is said to be looking for a high-caliber player to fill in that gap.

Y'all know what Lebron is to the NBA? The King right. Well this young man right here is kind of like the Lebron James of the DMV when it comes to entrepreneurs.

Throughout basketball history, there have been many amazing players to be a part of the NBA. The NBA, also known as the National Basketball Association, is not only the foremost men’s professional basketball league in North America, but is also widely considered to be the top-ranking men’s professional basketball league in the world. One of the most controversial topics in the history of NBA today is whether Michael Jordan or LeBron James is the best player to ever be a part of this association. James began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers and currently plays for the Miami Heat. Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls for most of his career; however, he played for the Washington Wizard’s from age 38 to 40. According to the New York Times, Jordan announced his retirement in Chicago on January 13th of 1999 (D8). Although LeBron James is one of the best players to be currently active in the league, Michael Jordan is known to be the best player in NBA history. Both player, without a doubt, have left a mark in the history of NBA, Michael Jordan, indisputably, is the best player to ever play in the NBA with his unstoppable defensive and offensive ability along with the determination and leadership he provided for his team.

The book ‘Shooting Stars’, is and autobiography written by Lebron James and Buzz Bissinger, provided a fantastic read. Published in 2009, the book briefly covered Lebron’s early life while spending the majority of the time covering his teen years. The reader is informed about the struggles that Lebron and his single mother faced through his early years. He had to move houses often due to financial circumstances and thus found it hard to make friends. James soon found a passion for basketball and formed a strong bond with his 4 best friends: Dru Joyce the 3rd, Romeo Travis, Sian Cotton and Wille McGee. They combined to create ‘The Fab 5’ and began on a journey to win the ‘National Championship’. They began to feel invincible as a result of

Also, Lebron James had the desire to make his high school basketball team, however, he lacked the money to afford the bills that came with the sport of basketball.

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).

LeBron James is similar to Magic Johnson. He did want to be a football player but he found something new.He wanted to play basketball. He used to make free throws by dunking them, causing the NCAA to make them change the rules.

Lebron begins with a reference to his life before fame arrived. “I was a kid from Northeast Ohio” (para. 1). When Lebron says “kid” it introduces ethos to the writing. When the reader reads this, they remember their own childhood and can relate to him. This quote creates a personal bond between him and his readers because 4 million people have memories in Northeast Ohio just like him. Lebron recognizes that fame didn’t always live in his house. He started where everyone else did, causing his readers to think about him in a different form. Lebron loved Ohio long before basketball influenced him, causing the Cleveland citizens to trust that Lebron’s heart lived in Cleveland. He also uses this quote

The first few seconds of your first earthquake are disconcerting. You don’t know what’s happening. The undulation, the noise, the inability to focus -- it’s all disconcerting. But once you’ve been in a few, you know the feeling. You don’t relax, but you don’t panic, either.

From LeBron’s outstanding high school career no one was surprised when he was drafted number one overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Just like in his first year in highschool he wasn't scared to show people how good he really was as rookie in the NBA. Which some people already knew how talented he