ESPN (DR)

LeBron James is a monster of longevity, and he clearly isn’t about to stop. Those who played with him from high school are all retired, and some remember what a phenomenon he was back then. This is the case of a former teammate of Kobe Bryant.

Do you think Victor Wembanyama had pressure for his first season in the NBA? Imagine then how LeBron James must have felt in 2003, when all eyes were on him.

Because unlike the prodigy of the French team, the one who was then called the “Chosen One” did not come from a renowned professional championship, but from high school.

Still a teenager, the child from Akron was faced with enormous media hype, with the added difficulty of having to adapt quickly to the very high level.

In just a few months, he went from clashes with other high school students to duels against the best athletes on the planet, who also had a crazy desire to destroy his hype. The fact that he is still here more than 20 years later is exceptional.

Trevor Ariza talks about LeBron James in high school

Trevor Ariza is well placed to talk about young LeBron, he who is part of the same generation.

He was able to meet him at different camps, at different tournaments, and during his appearance on the “Run Your Race” podcast, he explained what it was like to come across such a monster as a teenager.

Even at the time, there was no debate about the level of the King.

LeBron James has been the best player of my generation since I was 15.

There is not even a debate possible on this subject. During all the camps we could do together, with Carmelo Anthony too, the atmosphere was ultra-competitive.

At the time you didn’t see the best young people on Instagram, you just heard about them.

And even the images available, it was they who decided to publish them, you saw what they wanted to show.

You could only judge their level during camps or during tournaments. When you arrive, you try to see where you stand compared to the best.

I arrived at the same time as NBA Hall of Famers… But seeing them, playing against them, all that allowed me to see that everything I did in my high school was putting me in the right direction.

Trevor Ariza has heard about LeBron James since his early days in high school, he heard that the King is the successor to Michael Jordan , but for a while he couldn’t make up his own mind.

Then he discovered the phenomenon on certain elite camps and quickly understood that he was facing a future legend.

And as if that wasn’t enough, there were also Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony in this golden generation…

Trevor Ariza couldn’t have known if the LeBron James hype was justified until he met him. He quickly realized that the enthusiasm around the King was deserved, and the latter still proves today that he is an extraordinary talent.