LeBron James is the undisputed king of basketball. He recently shared a surprising tidbit about his rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2003–04). Believe it or not, some of his teammates weren’t exactly his biggest fans.
Doubted from Within
In the podcast, James said he received attention that his teammates doubted him. “They spoke in front of the camera as if he has not prepared well or is район to have someone else at that position,” James offered. This negativity did not go to the extent of mere complaints; there was even “animosity” towards him.
High Expectations, Low Support
Picked directly out of college and with the first overall selection. LeBron James was a highly touted rookie in the NBA. But as far as what his priorities were here, he stressed that he came just to learn and be helpful. It wasn’t something that was only talked about behind closed lockers, and it wasn’t just shameful comments and talking behind a player’s back. Cavaliers teammates Carlos Boozer and Ricky Davis questioned privately James’s preparedness for the NBA.
Doubts Silenced, Legacy Cemented
Though he failed to receive much support, the rookie scored an average of nearly 21 points per game during his first season, a statistic that is still the worst for the NBA star. In the following 20 years, James had a lot to prove to the critics and was scoring on average 25 + points per season. One thing’s clear: LeBron James only had people in his head who did not believe in him and today he proves that they were wrong.
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