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Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was once greeted as “The One” in high school, and he wondered if that was an apt description to explain his almost supernatural view of the field.
In the first episode of their joint podcast, Watch out for the game, featuring former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick, James shared how he understood the nuances of basketball from a young age. He said at 7:31 p.m. that he “could do a play when I was eight.”
“My coaches would just be blown away,” he said. “I wouldn’t know where it came from, I have no idea. … I think I was born with a sports IQ, and it could have been any sport. But I just think basketball- ball is the one I chose and maybe I was chosen to do this too.”
If being a top professional athlete only required hard work, then many more people would have achieved their dreams by now. It is often a mixture of tireless work and physical and mental gifts that cannot be taught or earned.
In James’ case, he possesses an almost unparalleled ability to read the game. The 20-time All-Star already said he discovered at a very young age that he had a photographic memory which helped him make ground plays.
There’s no doubt that James’ raw physical tools have served him well. Even at 39 years old, the 6’9″, 250 pound forward is still difficult to stop when he develops his full power.
But many players have been as big as James, as strong as James, and/or as fast as James. The reason there is only one LeBron is because no one has combined all of that with being a basketball savant.
Sometimes it really feels like he was “chosen” by a higher power to do this.
