When we talk about Lebron James (Akron, Ohio, 1984) perhaps we are talking about one of the most successful basketball players in history.
Born in an environment of poverty and marginality, constant effort made him reach the top of the NBA Olympus, being considered by many fans as a worthy successor to another master of the basket: Michael Jordan.
Nicknamed “The King,” LeBron James has won three rings as NBA champion to date. His figure leaves no one indifferent: he is hated and loved almost in equal measure.
12. I think the reason I am who I am today is because I went through those difficult times when I was younger.
Childhood toughened him on all levels.
13. I have a responsibility to lead and I take it very seriously.
He has always had the burden of encouraging his teams towards achieving the NBA ring.
14. Being the only man in the house with my mother helped me grow up.
He grew up without a father, so he had to mature earlier than most.
15. Since I was a child I was always a winner.
He loved to win and compete to the max.
16. When you have that respect from your colleagues, you do things more comfortably.
Feeling supported and valued results in a more confident way of playing.
17. There is a lot of pressure put on me, but I don’t put a lot of pressure on myself.
You just have to go out on the court and do your best, and the results will come by themselves.
18. I have always been a leader. I’ve always been the tallest person on the team when I was younger. It seems like he knew what to do at all times.
His leadership is natural.
19. Now, as a father, I come home, see my child, and forget any mistakes I have made or the reason I am unhappy. I get home and my son is smiling or comes running to me. He has made me grow as an individual and as a man.
About the lessons he gains every day in his role as a father.
20. Commitment is a big part of who I am and what I believe. How much are you committed to earning? How committed are you to being a good friend? To be trusted? To be successful?
21. I don’t know how tall I am or what I weigh. Because I don’t want anyone to know my identity. I’m like a superhero. Call me basketball-man.
Although he is officially 2.03m tall and weighs around 113kg, LeBron talks like this about himself.
22. The first time I set foot on a basketball court I became a businessman.
A money making machine.
23. God gave me other gifts to do other things besides playing basketball.
One of those LeBron James phrases that has gone around the world.
24. I am confident in my ability.
About your self-confidence.
25. I have always been a selfless boy and that is the only way I know how to play on the court and I try to play to the best of my ability, not only for myself, but for my teammates.
About his altruism on the track.
26. I always say that I live with the decisions I make. There is always a way to correct them or better paths. At the end of the day I live with them.
You have to be aware of the successes and mistakes of the past.
27. I like being around people.
It feels good in good company.
28. I hear my friends and my mother say that I am special, but I honestly don’t understand it.
It is not considered anything out of this world.
29. I have short-term goals; improve every day, help my teammates every day, but my ultimate goal is to win an NBA championship. It is all that matters. I dream about it all the time. It would be impressive.
LeBron’s phrase from when he had not yet won the title. And he is already on his third ring.
30. Every night on the court I give everything, and if I don’t give 100%, I criticize myself.
Effort can never be questioned.
31. Warren Buffet once told me “follow your instincts.”
The great investor once addressed LeBron James to tell him this.
32. When you are on the playing field it is not about whether you like it or not. All that matters is playing at a high level and doing whatever it takes to help your team win.
You can be more or less popular, but if you win games you are being important.
33. It is difficult to win the league, because all the teams are good, they have good players. It’s much more difficult than in high school. It’s competitive and that’s what I like the most.
Winning the ring means being elite among the elite.
34. I hate letting my classmates go down. I know I’m not going to hit every shot. Sometimes I try to make the right play and it results in a loss. I don’t feel terrible, because I have to answer questions about it. I feel terrible in the locker room because I could have done something more to help my teammates win.
About his leadership on the court.
35. I am going to use all my tools, my ability and make the best life I can.
About his philosophy of life.
36. I don’t need much. Glamor and all that doesn’t excite me. I’m just glad to have basketball in my life.
A great phrase of humility from LeBron James.
37. Maybe those who burned my jerseys weren’t LeBron James fans.
On his departure from Cleveland.
38. This is a job and we want to have fun. But it’s a job and it should feel like we’re going to work.
Do not confuse enjoying yourself on the court with a lack of professionalism.
39. With that locker room I couldn’t sleep after the games.
A criticism of one of their teams.
40. I am happy to be part of the Nike family.
About when he signed for the textile multinational.
41. It was great to be there with a good friend.
About JR Smith, one of his friends and teammates.
42. We don’t want them to feel frustrated, that stays in your mind too much. We have to work on it and see what we did wrong.
Conclusions must be drawn from errors to improve.
43. Strength, fight and courage.
Its three principles of play.
44. I laugh and joke, but I don’t get distracted very easily.
His concentration is always bomb-proof.
45. When did I know I had talent? I think it started when I started playing sports, organized sports.
There he knew that his athletic talent was enormous.
46. I like to go out and get up the court, using my speed and aggressiveness towards the basket.
Your game mode.
47. I played like every day was my last day with a basketball.
There is no other way to play at the highest level.
48. You can’t be afraid of failure. It’s the only way to be successful: you’re not going to be successful all the time, and I know that.
You always have to look forward, despite mistakes.
49. My father wasn’t there when I was a child, and he always used to say: Why me? Why don’t I have a father? Why isn’t he around? Why did he leave my mother? But as I got older, I looked deeper and thought, ‘I don’t know what my father was going through, but if he was around all the time, would I be who I am today?’
About the absence of the father figure in his life.
50. You know, God gave me a gift to do other things besides playing basketball.
He is not a one-dimensional man.
51. I went through many battles in high school.
Ohio high schools always have problems and brawls.
52. But sports kept me away from being in a gang, or being associated with drugs. Sports were my outlet.
An escape route.
53. For me, already being part of a single-parent household and knowing that it was just my mother and I, you would wake up sometimes and hope that the next day you would be able to be with your mother because she was trying to make sure I was taken care of. But the only thing that mattered to me was that she was home.
Another reflection about his childhood.
54. There are always people who ask you for something. But I feel like I have a base. I have a supporting cast that doesn’t bother me too much.
Your family and friends environment.
55. I hate disappointing my teammates. I know I’m not going to make every shot. Sometimes I try to make the right play, and if it results in a loss, I feel terrible. I don’t feel bad because I have to answer questions about it. I feel bad in the locker room because I could have done something more to help my teammates win.
A born leader must be one at all times.
56. My mother and I have always been there for each other. We had some tough times, but she was always there for me.
Maternal support was fundamental in the life of LeBron James.
57. When we were kids, we drove north, that’s our highway. There would be office buildings on the side of the road and I would say this is what my house will look like when I grow up. I’m going to start making my house look like this.
A childhood memory that you want to capture in your present home.
58. For all positions, I only bring the determination to win. Being a selfless player, I think I can continue with my teammates. When one of the best players on the court is selfless, I think he transfers to the other players.
Altruism made a basketball player.
59. You know, when I have a bad game that’s when I think I still have work to do and a lot of people to impress.
A way to redeem yourself after a defeat.
60. Akron, Ohio is my home. It will always be remembered. Akron, Ohio, is my life.
About his hometown.
61. I’m not going to fight because I mean too much to our team, and I can’t afford to get ejected from a game or do something stupid to get ejected from a playoff game.
The gift of controlling emotions in pursuit of the team.
62. I grew up on the north side of Akron. So those scary, lonely nights, that’s every night. You hear a lot of police sirens, you hear a lot of gunshots. Things you don’t want your kids to hear growing up.
A dangerous place.
63. There are some teams and logos that you can see, no matter where you are in the world, and know exactly who they are and what they mean.
The NBA language is universal.
64. A lot of pressure is put on me, but I don’t put much pressure on myself. I feel like if I play my game, it will take care of itself.
It’s all about flow.
65. I need music. It’s like my heartbeat, so to speak. It keeps me going no matter what’s going on: bad games, press, whatever.
Music motivates him before and after each match.
66. Your teammates give you confidence. They give me confidence all year, all postseason.
Your trust is based on them.
67. I don’t want to be called a point guard, but I can’t stop it.
Reflection on his role on the court.
68. Being the only man in the home with my mom definitely helped me grow up fast.
There was no other choice.
69. When I was 5, some financial things happened, and I moved seven times in one year. We moved from apartment to apartment, sometimes living with friends. My mother always said, ‘Don’t get comfortable, because we might not be here long.’
A nomadic way of life that helped him mature early.
70. If a great opportunity opens up, I would love to be involved… or star in a movie.
