"Young King" - LeBron James shares a video of him being an absolute menace in his rookie year in the NBA
LeBron James is 37-years-old and now in his 19th NBA season, but is still playing dominant basketball. King James is no longer the spring chicken he once was, but he remains to be one of the most athletic players around. The Chosen One jumped from prep to pro and started a run that the sport has never seen before.
Before the four-time MVP built an untouchable legacy, he was merely a kid from Akron, Ohio who was chasing a lifelong dream of playing in the NBA. LeBron James reminisced about his rookie year with a story posted on his Instagram account. It features the 18-year old phenom rising high for his trademark rim-rattling tomahawk dunk with a simple caption:
“Young King”
LeBron came straight outta high school and started doing this to grown NBA players at 18 years old. https://t.co/1n2irEGMqp
For a long time, it was unclear who coined the nickname or where it started until childhood friend Randy Mims revealed its origins. Even before LeBron James played a minute of pro-basketball, basketball fans in Ohio were already anointing him as “The King.”
The regal nickname was apt in so many ways. His freakish athleticism and ability to dominate games at such a young age were not seen before and could never be seen again. The internet is still filled with highlights of the four-time NBA champion’s majestic and awe-inspiring exploits on the basketball court.
19 seasons in the NBA have slightly dulled his almost inhuman athleticism. LeBron James has been more prone to injuries in the past few years than in his previous 15 years. At times, after anchoring the defense as the LA Lakers’ center and point guard, he has looked gassed. But for some stretches, the Young King still emerges, particularly with a chase-down block or a bulldozing and-1.
LeBron's longevity is absurd 🤯
(h/t @SpectrumSN) https://t.co/r9ThwkZwBw
The soon-to-be 18x All-Star has lately been doing damage in the second half of games. Both the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks, who were the LA Lakers’ last two opponents, had no answer for LeBron James in the second half. He may no longer be the Young King he once was, but he is still impressive enough to dominate games when he needs to.
Have LeBron James and the LA Lakers turned their season around?
The LA Lakers are riding a season-high four-game winning streak. They have also won five of their last six games. Three of the wins were against the Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings and the Portland Trail Blazers, which isn't exactly a murderer’s row of the best. The Atlanta Hawks also have one of the worst defenses in the league, so it’s still really too early to call.
However, there have been encouraging signs of late that could help them turn their season around. LeBron James and the LA Lakers have been significantly better at taking care of the ball in the last six games. Throughout the season, the Lakers have ranked near the bottom in turnovers committed per game.
The Lakers are undefeated and averaging 127 PPG when LeBron has started at center 👀 https://t.co/MFq2BdGRh4
In their 5-1 streak, they have coughed up the ball an average of 10.8 a game, which would be the best in the NBA by a really wide margin. Limiting their miscues is a big step in building chemistry and fluidity on both ends of the floor. If the Lakers can keep this up against elite teams when their schedule gets harder, they should clearly be on their way to becoming legit title contenders.