Bron, the Akron Hammer, the L-Train, King James, and even G.O.A.T.—LeBron James has had many monikers throughout his illustrious career. Perhaps the most intriguing is one he had tattooed on his body: “The Chosen One.” It’s arguably the most descriptive and fitting nickname for the athlete. Here’s the backstory behind how it came to be.
The year was 2002, and Sports Illustrated needed a cover star for their February 18th issue. Michael J. Lebrecht II set up a photoshoot with a 17-year-old high school basketball prodigy. By this point, LeBron was already in the public eye. He was dominating high school basketball so much that he had won Ohio’s Mr. Basketball trophy as a sophomore and was being hailed as the best high school basketball player ever.
“The Chosen One” is a nickname reserved for a savant, a savior. It was a lot of pressure to place on a 17-year-old from Akron, essentially declaring him basketball’s chosen one. Grant Wahl, who tragically passed away at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, wrote the SI feature on James.
The title itself was conceived by Greg Kelly, an editor at Sports Illustrated. He was taken by the story and the buzz surrounding James and was immediately on board when Wahl pitched him the idea.
When I texted @GrantWahl to see if he would write a postscript for his LeBron “Chosen One” story, Grant responded immediately, like always, then sent it that same day – then followed up to make sure it worked. He was a pro’s pro. We’ll all miss him. pic.twitter.com/KLjFpjlpxa
— Chris Ballard (@Chris_Ballard33) December 14, 2022
There definitely was that kind of feeling of the Messiah. You have to be careful with something like that. We’re not saying, ‘Jesus.’ But things can get overblown in sports. I think it was also used in Star Wars for Luke Skywalker. ‘The Chosen One’ is a feeling that this is kind of a godsend. I think LeBron has been a godsend for the NBA.
Greg Kelly said
Two decades later, LeBron James has well and truly lived up to that name. Even at 39, the NBA great is showing no signs of slowing down. He will soon be sharing the court with his son, Bronny James.
The pressure that came with LeBron James’ nickname
So, with all that pressure placed on the shoulders of a teenager, how did LeBron James fare? It’s not far-fetched to say that he exceeded the lofty expectations set before him. Since being anointed “The Chosen One,” LeBron has built an extraordinary resume.
The kid from Akron, Ohio, went on to win 4 MVPs, 4 Finals MVPs, and 4 Championships. Beyond that, LeBron has earned 20 All-Star selections and 20 All-NBA honors. And that’s just scratching the surface—his full list of accolades is too extensive to capture in a few lines.
I was worried that we were going to ruin the kid’s life by putting him on the cover. It’s one thing to do a feature on somebody inside the mag. But when you put a young kid on the cover and proclaim him ‘The Chosen One’ – maybe ‘ruin his life’ is a little strong, but it took things to such a level that I felt like his life was not going to be the same after that. The pressure would get a lot higher.
Grant Wahl said in an interview with Jesse Washington in 2017
One could go on and on listing LeBron’s achievements, but even that would fail to fully put his greatness into words. To be dubbed Michael Jordan‘s successor as a high schooler and to enter the NBA with expectations of near perfection is an immense burden.
Consider the numerous draft prospects who didn’t live up to their potential—names like Darko Milicic, Greg Oden, and even Ben Simmons come to mind. For LeBron, not only to fulfill his basketball potential but also to emerge as a top role model, adds another layer to his legendary status.
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