Le God we call Lebron

Basketball / Alsy / 02 December 2008 / Leave a Comment

Alister Morgan profiles the NBA's most talented ball-player - could he exceed the achievements of the great Michael Jordan?

There's a reason why LeBron James wears number 23 - the same reason that sees David Beckham and a host of professional sportsmen don the number. Homage to Michael Jordan is common but in James' case things may be a little different. The 23-year-old, wearing number 23, has just become the youngest player to score 10,000 points in NBA history. In a league crammed full of stunning athletes could LeBron be that one special player equipped to take the sport to the next level?

The trappings of success are there but is there any substance beneath? On this side of the Atlantic it's hard to imagine just how much interest is generated by the annual NBA draft that decides the fate of the best young players in the NBA based on a lottery system. The US press spends six months assessing and predicting what will happen as, with only five players on court at one time, the right talent can transform the fortunes of an ailing franchise.

When Kobe Bryant decided to make himself available for the NBA draft the media talked about little else but, putting things in perspective, Bryant was eventually picked at number 13 by the LA Lakers in 1996. When James followed suit in 2003 he was already a huge celebrity in the hoops world. The Cleveland Cavs would pick him at No1 but no team would have passed on his awesome array of talents. His extraordinary impact as a professional had long since been predicted.

He has the touch and passing skills of a point guard, the range of a shooting guard with the strength and force of a power forward. These attributes are hardly rare in NBA rookies (especially no. 1 draft picks) but not so many inhabiting a single body. In a sport dedicated to the perfection of playing one specific position, LeBron is truly versatile but more importantly, at 6ft 8" and 250lbs, he has the body to dominate experienced NBA professionals.

In many respects James has been the most-hyped player ever to join the NBA, partly because of his talent but primarily because he arrived in the age of a sports-obsessed mass media.

How does he compare to established greats? No one doubts the talent while his playing stats remain as impressive as ever. More importantly, his leadership of the Cavs continues to improve along with personal accolades. James averages 27.4 pts a game and has broken a host of records along the way but ultimately he has to be judged on Championship rings.

Cleveland reached the finals in 2007 but were swept 4-0 by San Antonio - too much, too young for LeBron. Two seasons on the Cavs are more experienced but not yet the finished article. They'll make the playoffs, but reaching and winning the Finals will be hard against the power of Duncan's Spurs, Kobe's Lakers or Pierce's Celtics.

Winning the Eastern Conference is a tough ask against impressive Detroit and Boston sides. Cleveland will have to do it the hard way in the tougher conference but you feel LeBron has time on his side.

If Cleveland could add some strength to their back court James would carry less load on his shoulders. The Cavs can be backed at a tempting [10.5] to win an NBA Championship this season but I'd back Kobe Bryant's LA Lakers to win another Championship at [3.3] instead. Kobe's supporting cast and wily coach offer a platform that Lebron is currently missing. I'd also back Kobe for another MVP award at [1.9], but LeBron shouldn't worry too much.

Jordan was only drafted at No3 in the 1984 draft - he quickly became a star of the league but it would take him seven years to win his first NBA Championship title in 1991 with the Chicago Bulls - LeBron definitely has time on his side.