Story

ON THE RISE

It didn’t take long for LeBron and his crew to gain recognition around Akron. They learned the fundamentals of basketball from Drambot and developed tremendous chemistry with one another. Literally and figuratively, LeBron was head-and-shoulders above his friends. By the eighth grade he was six feet tall, could play all five positions and had a sixth sense for the game.

Calling themselves the Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars, LeBron and his pals—coached by Joyce’s father—made a splash on the national scene in 1997 by qualifying for the Under/6th Grade AAU National Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah. Two years later they went all the way to the AAU Under/8th Grade final, in Orlando, Florida. The Shooting Stars won their first five games to set up a showdown with the Southern California All-Stars. They lost a heartbreaker, 68-66, but LeBron was the big story with his sparkling play.

By then LeBron, Joyce, Cotton and McGee—the self-proclaimed “Fab Four”—had arrived at a decision. They were a package deal, and pledged to continue their hoops careers together. The foursome settled on Saint Vincent-Saint Mary High School, a parochial school in downtown Akron. Best known for its tradition of academic excellence, SVSM was about to establish a new legacy, with LeBron leading the way.

Before he hit the hardwood, LeBron buckled up his chin strap as a wideout for SVSM football coach Jay Brophy, a former NFL linebacker who spent time with the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. The freshman made his varsity basketball debut weeks later on December 3, earning a spot in the Fighting Irish starting backcourt. The decision to go with LeBron was an easy one for Keith Drambot, who had recently been hired as SVSM’s coach. Wearing Jordan’s number 23, LeBron, now 6-3, contributed 15 points in a blowout over parochial rival Cuyahoga Falls.

With LeBron and Maverick Carter (his cousin and an all-state senior) headlining a talented team, the Fighting Irish posted a perfect 27-0 record and captured the state championship, the school’s first since 1984. LeBron averaged just under 20 points, shot better than 50 percent from the field and was among the team leaders in rebounds, assists and steals. His instincts were amazing considering his age, and he demonstrated that intangible quality of making everyone else on the court better. Rumor had it that IMG, the Cleveland-based representation firm, was already putting out feelers to him.

The summer after his freshman season saw LeBron continue to improve. But the biggest change came off the court, where he grew nearly four inches, to 6-7. LeBron now looked more like a man than a boy.

LeBron played another year of football at SVSM in the fall of 2000, racking up more than 700 yards receiving. He was named All-Ohio, but the Fighting Irish finished at a disappointing 4-6.

As LeBron prepared for the basketball season, word began to spread that SVSM had a bona fide phenom on its hands. Expecting a huge crowd for their 2000-01 season opener, the Fighting Irish scheduled the game at the University of Akron’s James A. Rhodes Arena. Some 5,000 fans packed the house. LeBron paced SVSM to an easy victory, and the team rolled from there.

The Fighting Irish faced their stiffest test against Oak Hill Academy during a tournament in January. The Warriors—led by center DeSagna Diop and swingman Rashaad Carruth—were the nation’s top-ranked prep squad. LeBron and his teammates entered the contest undefeated. In a classic, Oak Hill barely hung on for a 79-78 victory. But in what was becoming a habit, LeBron stole the show. With a small army of NBA and college scouts in attendance, he torched the Warriors for 33 points, nailing bombs from beyond the 3-point arc, hitting on leaners in the lane and finishing the break with rim-rattling dunks. LeBron actually could have won it for SVSM, but he missed a pair of free throws late in the fourth quarter and his desperation jumper at the buzzer rimmed out.

The Fighting Irish rebounded from the defeat in impressive fashion. They ran the table the rest of the regular season, then stormed through the state playoffs for their second straight title. The final, played at Ohio State’s Jerome Schottenstein Center, attracted a sellout crowd of more than 17,000, including North Carolina head coach Matt Doherty and California head coach Ben Braun. LeBron, who poured in 54 points in his team’s two playoff wins, was a no-brainer as tournament MVP.

For the year LeBron averaged 25.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. He also increased his proficiency from downtown, connecting on 39 percent of his treys. Named an All-American (along with the likes of Eddie Curry and Kwame Brown), LeBron became the first sophomore in Ohio history to be voted the state’s Mr. Basketball.