An appreciation of life lessons learned from LeBron James’ golden career
by ROB KNOX
I’ve lived a blessed life. I wrote about LeBron James 21 years ago when he was a senior at St. Mary’s St. Vincent’s High School while I was a sportswriter at the Delaware County Daily Times. I recently came across the column I wrote about James and marveled at its relevance today.
One quote struck me while reading, and it was this when asked about all the national attention in high school, “I want to be on the cover of all the magazines. I want all the spotlight. If I’m in the spotlight, my team is in the spotlight.”
Throughout his much-discussed NBA career, James has always been about the team. His commitment to his team is the one quality I’ve always admired about him. He never cared about statistics. It was about celebrating others and making the right decisions on the basketball court regardless of what the bleacher critics or pundits believed he should do.
That’s why in the final minutes of the United States gold medal victory over France, when Steph Curry unleashed a flurry of mesmerizing 3-point shooting, finally giving his team the winning edge, seeing the salt-and-peppered bearded James celebrate his teammate with the joy of a toddler playing with its favorite toy was outstanding.
With 19.8 million people watching around the world, James euphorically participated in Curry’s signature “night-night” celebration, which was fun to witness. After all the battles against Curry in the NBA Finals, James and Curry enjoyed the privilege of finally being teammates, and you can tell that it showed.
It’s funny that my lede to the first column I wrote about James on Dec. 18, 2003, was succinct.
“Back in an era of high-top fades and when Michael Jackson had most of his nose along with natural skin color, rap group Public Enemy had a hit song called, ‘Don’t Believe The Hype.’ When it comes to SMSV senior sensation LeBron James, well, believe it. He’s the truth.”
Mind you, not that I went out a limb with my proclamation back then. Everybody could see James’ transcendent talent.
In a social media era, James has somehow exceeded the hype, been a tremendous ambassador for the sport of basketball, and a pillar of excellence in the community. He’s been criticized for not winning enough, “The Decision,” or making a pass in the final seconds instead of attempting the game-winning shot. After all they say, haters scream your failures and whisper your successes.
Yet, he’s risen above all that to cement his legacy as arguably one of the five greatest basketball players ever to play the sport. He’s scored the most points in NBA history, won four NBA championships with three different franchises, and three gold medals along with a bronze while continuing to inspire.
He’s lived his life under public scrutiny and handled everything with grace. There are so many lessons we can learn by studying James. One of them is bouncing back from failure and conquering adversity. After “The Decision,” James and the Miami Heat lost the NBA Finals to Dallas, and he didn’t play up to his standard. Yet, he came back stronger, more determined, and better, helping the Heat win back-to-back championships.
At that moment, Janes decided that failure and disappointment were temporary and something we all controlled. The takeaway is simple: The most successful people pair daily intensity and focus with hard work and consistency.
Another major one is celebrating others. James has always invested in and inspired his teammates. It’s never been about him; he’s always shared the spotlight. By celebrating each other’s successes, you cultivate self-acceptance, which in turn helps the world become a better place.
I have always been a massive fan of James. I love the way he approaches his craft, how he’s navigated an impossible career that’s consistently been under the limelight, and how he’s always valued family and cherished his role as a husband, father, friend, teammate, and beacon of excellence for so many.
A symbol of excellence, James most likely won’t play in the 2028 Olympics, although it’s hard to put that past him because he’s an athletic marvel, playing at a ridiculously high level, almost approaching 40 years old. Crazy. When I wrote my column on James in 2003, there was no way I envisioned him winning gold medals in 2024.
I am lucky I had the blessing to witness him play high school basketball and offer a few words during that era.
King James, I salute you on and off the basketball court.
Rob Knox is an award-winning professional. A member of the Lincoln (Pa.) Hall of Fame, Knox enjoyed a distinguished career as an athletics communicator for Lincoln, Kutztown, Coppin State, Towson, and UNC Greensboro. He also worked at ESPN and for the Delaware County Daily Times. Recently, Knox was honored by the NCAA with its Champion of Diversity and College Sports Communicators Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer award. Knox is a graduate of Lincoln University and a past president of the College Sports Information Directors Association of America (CoSIDA). He is also a member of the United States Basketball Writers Association women’s basketball committee.
