Gurnett Bob - LeBron James: G.O.A.T.: making the case for greatest of all time

Before LeBron James ever bounced a basketball, he was a bouncing baby boy. On December 30, 1984 in Akron, Ohio, Gloria James gave birth to LeBron Raymone James. There was no way Gloria could have known that her tiny baby would grow up to be the Akron Hammer, the King, or to many, the greatest basketball player of all time.

LeBrons childhood was anything but regal. He came from humble and difficult beginnings. His mother moved them from apartment to apartment in the poorest areas of Akron. By age 8, LeBron and his mother had moved ten times! LeBron spent many nights sleeping on couches as they struggled to find their way. This nomadic lifestyle made it hard for LeBron James to make friends, and there just wasnt enough money for him to play organized sports. The idea that LeBron James, one of the greatest athletes of all time, never played on a sports team until he was eight years old may be mind-blowing, but it is true! Instead, LeBron played sandlot football with neighborhood kids. And when a Pee Wee football coach offered to pay for his equipment and drive him to games, LeBron and his mother jumped at the opportunity.

LeBron and his mother when he was in high school

LeBron was shy and awkward as a kid. Much taller than his peers, he would rather spend his time in the back of the classroom than in the spotlight. That began to change when he started playing organized football at eight years old. On the first play with his new team, the boy who everyone knew as Bron Bron ran the ball 80 yards for a touchdown. He played running back for the select East Dragons football team. The quiet kid who had been to eight different schools and spent many nights sleeping on couches was finally finding his place. LeBrons Pee Wee coach, Bruce Kelker, even opened his home to LeBron and his mother. Young Bron Brons life started to gain stability. Coach Kelker was happy to offer LeBron and Gloria a home, despite the fact that he thought LeBron had stinky feet. LeBron finished that season with 17 touchdowns, each one scored with his mom running along the sideline, cheering his name. Because he moved so often, LeBron had always been the new kid at school and just wanted to blend in. It was while playing Pee Wee football that LeBron learned that he was destined to stand out.

After football season, another coach, Frankie Walker, invited LeBron and Gloria to live with him. Since football was over, Walker wanted LeBron to try his hand at basketball. Walker matched young LeBron against his son, also named Frankie, in a game of 21. LeBron got crushed. The future NBA champion lost in an embarrassing 217 game. He couldnt dribble. He couldnt make a left-handed layup. Though he was tall, without training LeBron was not going to win against Frankie. But Coach Walker took LeBron James under his wing and taught him the fundamentals. Next time you see LeBron finish a layup with his left hand, you can thank Frankie Walker.

By middle school, LeBron and his mom had their own place again, but LeBron would frequently spend the night at the Walkers home. He had become a part of their family and continued to learn basketball from Frankie well into middle school. By then, LeBron played for the Shooting Stars, an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team, a national private club for outstanding young athletes. They had already won a bunch of national championships. The Shooting Stars were an elite squad, but the highlight of LeBrons middle school career was during a teacher-student charity game. The game was played each year, and the teachers were undefeated. LeBron made them nervous. By 8th grade, he was already six feet tall, taller than some of the teachers he was playing! The teachers may have been historically undefeated, but so was LeBrons AAU team, the Shooting Stars. LeBron and three other teammates had been nicknamed the Fab Four. They proved to be too fast for the teachers, who were winded and wheezing early into the game. The boys quickly took a 20-point lead over the teachers. In the stands, the students were going wild, cheering for what appeared to be an exciting upset in the making. The fans watching had no idea that they were about to witness history. Late in the game, LeBron stole the ball from a teacher in the backcourt. There was nobody between him and the basket. He raced down the court. He rose up from a full sprint. He reached just over the rim and slammed the ball down. It was LeBrons first dunk ever and it sent the crowd into chaos. It was not the signature, thundering dunks that NBA LeBron fans are used to, but for an 8th grader, it was an incredible feat. After the game, the teachers took down the rim and saved it as a memento. LeBrons coaches, friends, and family knew he was something special, and with that dunk, LeBron advertised to all of Ohio that he was a superstar in the making.