LeBron James isn’t the first high schooler to jump to the NBA, but he may just be the best. Almost from Day One, his basketball IQ hovered at genius level, and his physical skills were off the charts. Today, as a two-time MVP, his leadership skills are beyond question as well. LeBron is the reason everyone was talking about the NBA in July of 2010. His free agency was covered like a Moon Shot. Now a member of the Miami Heat, he is shooting for the moon. Few doubt he can do it.
Kobe Bryant cannot remember a day in his life that wasn’t punctuated by the sound of a bouncing basketball. A hoops junkie who prophesied his own stardom in toddlerhood, Kobe is the reason fans stopped raising an eyebrow when high-school stars skipped college and went directly to the pros. The first teenage guard to successfully translate his skills to the NBA, he pocketed three championship rings by his 24th birthday and continued to evolve into one of the best all-around players in the history of the game,
By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. Although, a summary of his basketball career and influence on the game inevitably fails to do it justice, as a phenomenal athlete with a unique combination of fundamental soundness, grace, speed, power, artistry, improvisational ability and an unquenchable competitive desire, Jordan single-handedly redefined the NBA superstar.
