Future Watch Special Edition: LeBron James named TIME Magazine Athlete of the Year – In 2020, there have been athletes that did remarkable things both inside their respective arenas and outside them; but none had the impact of LeBron James.
Being arguably the most high profile player in all the NBA meant that King James had a giant pedestal to stand on. Many Superstars in the past have taken this platform and done little with it; but not LeBron. He was outspoken on social media. He was a major part of the very visible anti-racism movement on the court. He has supported educational endeavors in his hometown of Akron, OH and in so many other areas.
Oh, and he brought the Los Angeles Lakers back to championship glory.
To understand the impact LeBron has had in the NBA is to watch him from the very start and see that he was respectful, yet driven, as you can see at the start of this TIME video:
The first time LeBron James stepped onto an NBA basketball court, no one knew what to expect. There had been high schoolers that went straight to the NBA before that made a huge impact virtually straight out of the gate. Among them – Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O’Neal and Tracy McGrady; but LeBron was different, by every account imaginable. Even before he stepped into an NBA arena, James had been a Sports Illustrated cover athlete and a two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year. He was also a hell of a football player, incidentally.
After being selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers first overall in the 2003 NBA Draft, James made his long anticipated debut, and put up 25 points against the Sacramento Kings, establishing a new standard for debuting high school players. He became the third player in NBA history to average at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in their first season and, naturally, was named Rookie of the Year. The Cavs made an 18-game improvement in their record. Though they missed the playoffs, the team was now starting to look like a threat, primarily thanks to LeBron.
James’ impact, of course, meant big things for the hobby world. He had already signed a contract with Upper Deck by the time he made his debut and a commemorative box set was rolled out before the season started, as well as a second capsuling that impressive start. James has remained with Upper Deck for an autograph agreement ever since, despite the company not having an NBA license.
The card collecting world in 2003-04, of course, was much different, with Upper Deck, Topps and Fleer all producing NBA cards. As a result, collectors had a variety of options available to get a LeBron rookie card. Fleer also produced Team USA cards that year, and King James was included in the series as he was part of the squad that won the bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Since that inaugural campaign, LeBron has gone on to virtually do it all. Prior to the 2020-21 season, James had four NBA Championships, four MVP awards, four post-season MVP awards, 16 All-NBA nods and a host of other accolades on his resume. On top of this, James currently sits just over 4,000 points shy of the all-time NBA record, currently held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Barring injury, that record will fall.
It’s fair to say that no one could have expected this level of greatness from LeBron James way back when, but if you picked up one of his RC’s way back when, you made a wise investment. If you haven’t picked up one yet, do so now; at age 35, King James still has a few good years left in his body and could cement his spot as the greatest in NBA history, let alone one of the most commendable athletes in all of sport.
Future Watch Special Edition: LeBron James Basketball cards, TIME Athlete of the Year – Stats
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | Pos | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-04 | 19 | CLE | NBA | SG | 79 | 79 | 39.5 | 7.9 | 18.9 | .417 | 0.8 | 2.7 | .290 | 7.1 | 16.1 | .438 | .438 | 4.4 | 5.8 | .754 | 1.3 | 4.2 | 5.5 | 5.9 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 3.5 | 1.9 | 20.9 |
| 2019-20 | 35 | LAL | NBA | PG | 67 | 67 | 34.6 | 9.6 | 19.4 | .493 | 2.2 | 6.3 | .348 | 7.4 | 13.1 | .564 | .550 | 3.9 | 5.7 | .693 | 1.0 | 6.9 | 7.8 | 10.2 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 3.9 | 1.8 | 25.3 |
| Career | NBA | 1265 | 1264 | 38.4 | 9.9 | 19.6 | .504 | 1.5 | 4.3 | .344 | 8.4 | 15.3 | .549 | .541 | 5.9 | 8.0 | .734 | 1.2 | 6.2 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 27.1 | |||
| 11 seasons | CLE | NBA | 849 | 848 | 39.0 | 9.9 | 20.0 | .492 | 1.5 | 4.4 | .337 | 8.4 | 15.7 | .535 | .528 | 6.0 | 8.2 | .733 | 1.2 | 6.1 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 3.5 | 1.9 | 27.2 | ||
| 4 seasons | MIA | NBA | 294 | 294 | 38.0 | 9.9 | 18.2 | .543 | 1.2 | 3.4 | .369 | 8.7 | 14.9 | .582 | .577 | 5.9 | 7.8 | .758 | 1.2 | 6.4 | 7.6 | 6.7 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 26.9 | ||
| 2 seasons | LAL | NBA | 122 | 122 | 34.9 | 9.8 | 19.7 | .501 | 2.1 | 6.2 | .344 | 7.7 | 13.5 | .572 | .555 | 4.4 | 6.5 | .678 | 1.0 | 7.1 | 8.1 | 9.3 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 3.8 | 1.7 | 26.3 |
Future Watch Special Edition: LeBron James cards, TIME Athlete of the Year – Additional Resources
- LeBron James NBA.com Player Profile
- LeBron James – Secondary Market Pricing
- Beckett Card Catalog – LeBron James Basketball Cards
Future Watch Special Edition: LeBron James Rookie Card – Image Gallery
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