The story of LeBron James begins and ends with discussion about his legacy. He emerged as a 14 year-old boy in Ohio—the prodigal son destined to resurrect a city and end a championship drought. But when he struggled to produce, he was heavily criticized, and eventually left town for Miami where he promptly won two championships. James has returned to the city he left five years ago, hoping to bring the championship clout with him. Gary Washburn accurately displays this conflict in his Boston Globe article “LeBron James is giving us a lesson in leadership.”
Washburn quickly explains the conflict in his narrative. LeBron James is David fighting Goliath in the final round of the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs. James lost two of his all-star teammates to injury during the playoffs and the remaining cast of characters has a large burden to shoulder. Washburn depicts James looking around while on the court and notices “his lead guitarist and drummer are gone.” The remaining team, says Washburn, is a “house band” with which James is left trying to orchestrate a concert at Carnegie Hall.
This story has deep roots. James was born in Akron, Ohio, and became popularized at a young age for his athletic prowess. He was called a basketball prodigy by the time he was in 8th grade. Nevertheless his leadership skills were being developed in adolescence. He bonded closely with his teammates on the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball team. The group, led by James, vowed to play together throughout their high school careers. Individually James’ teammates had little scholarship opportunity or serious recruiting efforts. But with James support and his vow to stick together throughout high school the group of players were able to enroll at Saint Vincent Saint Mary’s (SVSM). The move was controversial at the time because the school was predominantly white and a private school. That did not bother LeBron James, though. And the effort worked out well for LeBron and the school, as they won the Division I State Title in three out of four of his high school seasons.
In his article, Washburn accredits James ability to lead this motley crew of players to his stint in Miami—where he won two championships and went to the finals four times. Experiencing those trips to finals, paired with the success of winning half the time, has better equipped James to deliver on a much-desired reward for the city of Cleveland. James says he is motivated to make sure his teammates are prepared and ready to play every night.
Of course, behind every leader is a story of challenges, hardship, and adversity. These themes are mentioned in the article, which also mentions “the decision,” or the 2010 announcement on television that LeBron James was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers and signing a free-agent deal with the Miami Heat. This created “an icy relationship” that needed “thawing” as Washburn says. However, the article also speaks to James leadership abilities and personal growth. He was able to move past a difficult period in his life and rekindle a relationship with a team, ownership and management group, and city (which was very hostile towards LeBron James after his decision). LeBron James, as mentioned in this article and throughout his lifetime, has developed a sense of leadership that relies on loyalty, trust, and personal responsibility. He has demonstrated his ability to achieve at a high level in athletics, but now must harness those traits that often go unnoticed to fans watching a sport on television.
References:
Washurn, Gary (2015 June 9) LeBron James is giving us a lesson in leadership. The
Boston Globe. Retrieved from: https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/06/08/lebron-james-showing-how-leadership-done/HF4hoUMLSDXT9x5RQqpSFM/story.html
Vardon, Joe (2014 September 26) LeBron James: “I will be the leader of this team” The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Retrieved from: http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2014 /09/lebron_james_cavaliers_media_d.html
LeBron James. (2015). The Biography.com website. Retrieved 08:21, Jun 12, 2015, from
http://www.biography.com/people/lebron-james-399748.
