LeBron James, who Charles Barkley called the 'Greatest sports story ever', admitted to using marijuana when he was 17 years old
The entire NBA fraternity, including legends like Charles Barkley, agrees that LA Lakers star forward LeBron James has one of the greatest sports stories of all time.
After growing up poor in Akron, Ohio, James defied the odds by becoming the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA draft straight out of high school. He has since proven to be arguably the greatest player in NBA history over his illustrious 20-year career.
One needs to understand that James’ rise to prominence wasn’t easy for him as he often struggled to deal with his newfound fame as a 17-year-old junior in high school. This in turn led James to engage in some questionable behavior, including smoking marijuana.
In his 2009 book “Shooting Stars,” James spoke about his experiences as a high school basketball prodigy at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. According to James, after he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, he and his friends started to develop egos. The friend group then lacked positive adult role models to keep them in check:
“We had become big-headed jerks, me in particular,” James said.
“We are to blame for that, but so are adults who treated us that way and then sat back and smugly watched the self-destruction.”
According to James, he and his friends reached rockstar status in the city, which led them to try smoking marijuana in an Akron hotel room.
Looking back, James said that he wishes that he stayed more lowkey in high school. However, he understands why it was hard for him to adjust to such abnormal circumstances, given that he was a teenager at the time:
“I was arrogant, dubbing myself ‘The Chosen One,’” James said.
“In hindsight, I should have kept quiet, but I also was what I was, a teenager where every reporter in the world seemed to be rushing toward me at once.”
Luckily for James, he was able to overcome these obstacles and adjust to life in the spotlight. He has since gained a reputation for being a family man and one of the least problematic star athletes in the world.
Charles Barkley on why LeBron James is the greatest sports story ever
During an appearance on the “All The Smoke” podcast earlier this year, Charles Barkley spoke about why he believes LeBron James is the greatest sports story ever.
Barkley raved about James being able to make the smooth transition from high school to the NBA at age 18. He then spoke about how impressive it is that the star forward has never gotten into any trouble over the past 20 years:
“I think LeBron James is the greatest sports story of all time,” Barkley said.
“For him to come into the NBA at 18 years old, he was really good — we had his first game I think, on TNT, he played really good — But in this generation with social media, he’s never gotten in trouble, he’s lived up to all the hype, I think it’s probably the greatest story in sports history.”
Indeed, James' legacy continues to inspire generations to come. His unparalleled experience and command over the game make him an absolute role model.
Also read: Longtime rival Paul Pierce expects LeBron James to participate in 2024 Olympics: "I think he'll go'