NBA / Dec 10, 2008 / 9:16 pm
“LeBron isn’t real”
LeBron James (photo. Mannion)Because my Dad only watches basketball when football isn’t on, our conversations during NBA games are basically extended versions of, “Who He Play For?” I just got off the phone with him as he was watching Cavs/Sixers, and he told me one of the announcers said LeBron currently checks in at 6-foot-8, 274 pounds. Two seventy-four! The last time I had checked — Summer ‘07 as Team USA prepared for the FIBA Americas tourney — ‘Bron was claiming to be 260.
“LeBron isn’t real, man,” Dad said. “He’s some kind of experiment. That’s not even human for somebody to be that big, that fast, and that coordinated.”
All things considered, is it possible LeBron is the best pure athlete we’ve ever seen not just in the NBA, but in sports, period?
December 10th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
dueces says:
yes.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
JCARR says:
yea he is up there…
December 10th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
mike says:
There is no one in any sport that combines that much size, speed, quickness, and strength.
He is basically Terrell Owens on HGH
December 10th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
trip says:
Bron is a freak of nature. He must have been sent to China as a baby and experimented on with performance enhancing shit just like the Chinese athletes when they were babies. He’s been sent here to make a lot of cash for the Chinese government.
Other than that, he’s a perfect athlete.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Jay says:
I will go out on a limb and say none of us will see another athlete as spectacular as LeBron James in our lifetimes. We truly are witnesses.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
rob stewart says:
Absolutely!! Lebron James is Tony Parker in Karl Malone’s body. That’s absolutely ridiculous. That’s some NBA Live created character type stuff.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
kobeef says:
I’m going to crap on this LeBron Love Fest. LeBron is not even the best athlete in the NBA. Evidence? Why hasn’t Lebron ever entered the Dunk Contest?
LeBron backed out of the Dunk Fest in Josh Smith’s Rookie year and most people concluded that Lebron didn’t want to face JSmoove who is taller and MUCH more athletic than Lebron. Even worse? Rudy Gay is a better athlete than Smoove.
Lebron is goot but is not a great shooter (not in Kobe, Ray, MJ territory) and yeah he can jump but his vertical is not in the 44″ range like Rudy and Josh, he has a solid wingspan but is not in Rudy’s league (7′3 for a 6′9 guy).
What sets this 6′8 guy apart? Solid athlete and GREAT handle and GREAT court vision. Those talents have been his trademark since he was in high school.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
candy man says:
kobeef, i think you are missing the point, we are not talking about purely dunking, but in all aspects of sports. How many sports would lebron excell at! He would kill it in football as a TE, or defensive end, he even played WR in HS but that was probably 50 lbs lighter. He would be a beast to handle on either end of the field i bet if he learnded to ice skate he would check the crap out of players in hockey too.
can you say the same for the players that you mentioned.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Austin Burton says:
There are guys who jump higher, or run faster, or are stronger, or are quicker, or more graceful. But all that in one, at the high level LeBron does it? I can’t think of anybody.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
JBFC says:
Nice try, Austin. A few posts like this won’t repair the years of insults you and your magazine have leveled against LeBron — and it won’t mask the institutional bias against him that still thrives at this “so-called” magazine.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
srb says:
his combination of speed and strength is unreal. i’m always amazed at how fast he is, and how he can hit top speed on his second step. he’s quick as well as fast.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Justin Solomon says:
Simply stated, he will go down as the best player ever when he retires with the scoring record and a slew of other accolades. The fact that dude has played over 5 years at this level and is only 23 says something in itself. Lebron is the most gifted athlete in all of sports.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
SteveNash says:
i wonder how much money he would have gotten at a sperm donor clinic
December 10th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
srb says:
not sure if anyone is watching the 76ers get slaughtered, but the jay-z love by lebron is getting a little uncomfortable. he said when he turns on his ipod he goes to his jay-z playlist and lets all of his 29 favorites just play through to get focused.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
rocky lobs says:
hes a fan sonson
December 10th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
patrick says:
maybe wilt. he had the coordination, hops and size when he was rolling with the globetrotters.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
changster says:
i’d say yes. I heard a story about a month ago that Lebron said he was actually 290lbs. now that’s what i call a beast.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Austin Burton says:
@JBFC — You’ve gotta be joking, right?
December 10th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Illmatic724 says:
#7
When LBJ was drafted, his vertical was measured at 43″.. I’d say that’s pretty close to 44″
December 10th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Max says:
@JBFC — I assume you’re being sarcastic? Bron’s my favorite player, and even I think Dime has been um, generous with the coverage of how great he is lately. Pierce, Kobe, and Duncan are D-Leaguers in comparison based on Dime coverage these days.
I was surprised we hadn’t seen a “would you stop riding Lebron’s **** Dime?!” post yet.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
chea says:
who gives a dam about his vertical…he gets up higher than anyone in the league and is quick as shit. hes the most exciting player in all of sports
December 10th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
weng santos says:
Bron is a freak. A true phenom, once in a lifetime.
That’s why I can’t realistically look up to him.
No matter how hard I train, I will NEVER approximate his physical gifts. I’d probably tear both ACL’s just trying to bulk up to 270 and still jump 40 inches.
DANG.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
OJT says:
Whatever you might think about Lebron, as an athlete, hell yeah he’s a freak of nature. But there are definitely a couple of freak of natures out there in other sports as well, it’s just that different skill sets get displayed. I mean some of the NFL defensive players like Julius Peppers are freaks too…
December 10th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Cavsfan says:
He is da man. There is no one his size that can play like him. Look at when he came into the league, he was a point guard the only point guard as big as him was Magic and Magic didn’t have the hops like Lebron. He has all the skills of a point guard in a bigger body. So that being said I say he is the bast pure athlete.
December 10th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Ian says:
bron
wilt
admiral
malone
those are the 4 freakiest in any order
December 10th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
Ian says:
ojt
made a good point
u always find a couple of players like this in every sport
December 10th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
junior says:
he probably is.
BUT HE IS NOT 274 pounds
thats a load of shit.
6-8 260 i can believe
another 15 pounds
get fucked.
i respect the dude for his game.
but 274 is just makin fun of your intelligence.
December 10th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
hahns says:
kobeef- those were some of the weakest arguments ive ever heard…even for an internet forum.
1a. bc youre athletic doenst mean you have to be in the dunk contest. derrick rose is atheltic as hell, but hes certainly not going to be in the dunk contest this year
1b. he probably felt like it would undermine him and type cast him as a dunker (see fred jones, vc, jrich, gerald green)
2. on what grounds are you saying that rudy gay >> josh smith >> lebron in athleticism? its obviously not dunk contest wins bc josh smith has one and rudy gay doenst- which makes your first point moot.
3. since when does being a great shooter mean youre a great athlete?? is jj reddick a better athlete than bron?
4. since when does wingspan (static physical atribute) mean someone is less or more athletic? thats like saying since someone has longer legs, hes automatically more athletic. there might be a correlation, but definitely causality.
5. if you really think its only his handle and court vision that sets him apart…i really dont know what sport youve been watching for the past 5 years…bc this guy is ridiculous.
6. youre an idiot.
like everyone else said- what sets bron apart is his combination of agility, size, skill, and bball iq. you just dont see this kind of coordination in ppl that big. on these same grounds, shaq doesnt get enough credit for being the athlete that he is.
bo jackson has gotta be someone that rivals bron too
December 10th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
dapro says:
AB summed it up well, no one in any sport has the combination of speed, strength, agility, hops, and overall sheer athleticism like Bron
He could play any sport and be a close to dominant because of his combo of size and athleticism
December 10th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
dapro says:
Bo was a freak as well…..
I’d go Mike Vick as well (arm strength and speed)
December 11th, 2008 at 12:05 am
JCARR says:
Melo’ wasnt real during that 3rd quarter against the T’wolves… dropping 33 in just ONE quarter…. WOW…
Watching the game it looked like the T’Wolves didnt care!
December 11th, 2008 at 12:16 am
todoit says:
i second hahns, kobeef you are an idiot.
LeBron is an absolute freak of nature and there is no question about it. The way he blends his speed, strength, agility, jumping ability, into a frame that big is just insane. Imagine a Karl Malone-built player running down the court like a gazelle with guard-like qualities is what I liken LeBron to. LeBron is truly a specimen to behold.
December 11th, 2008 at 1:22 am
doc says:
He’s such a damn freak if he was a girl he would’ve fucked the whole world.
December 11th, 2008 at 1:24 am
Skywalker says:
Bron is pure awesomeness!
December 11th, 2008 at 1:25 am
mules says:
World Champion Decathletes are generally considered the world’s greatest athlete’s
December 11th, 2008 at 1:26 am
Skywalker says:
doc
that was nasty
December 11th, 2008 at 2:08 am
Mike C says:
I think that if you’re the top athlete in the NBA, that makes you the top athlete in sports, period. That being said, only two other players in NBA history can compare to Bron’s athleticism: MJ and Vince. Of the three, MJ was the fastest but last in hops and power. LeBron has the most power but is second in hops and speed. Vince was first in the hops department, second in power, and third in speed.
December 11th, 2008 at 2:11 am
tealish says:
George St Pierre is a superior athlete. He has better power, finesse, and coordination throughout his entire body. Speed, we don’t know because he has no need to run in the Octagon. But those leg kicks and punches are lightning quick.
December 11th, 2008 at 2:11 am
tealish says:
And anyone who believes Bron is 274 is out of their damn minds. 260 is a stretch as it is.
December 11th, 2008 at 2:26 am
Kalan F. says:
There is no way he is 274 pounds. He can’t be!
December 11th, 2008 at 4:00 am
caeubona says:
274 is ummm… kinda unbelievable.
but no matter what his real weight is, that doesn’t change the fact that LeBron is probably the best pure athlete in the NBA today. true, he’s not the fastest player, he’s not the tallest, he’s not the highest jumper, and he doesn’t have the longest wingspan. but nobody brings together the combination of all these (physical attributes, strength, speed, hops, and ability) the way LeBron does. he is a freak of nature, and we’re lucky to be watching him right now.
that being said, i still don’t think he’s the best athlete in ALL of sports. the best in the NBA, yes, that case can be made. but to say that he’s the best athlete in all sports, we need to consider ALL sports, not just football or baseball or basketball or hockey. i mean there are other athletes in other sports that are also considered physical freaks like LeBron James.
(Usain Bolt gets my vote as the best athlete in sports, btw).
December 11th, 2008 at 4:09 am
KB24 says:
ok everyone. Go Suck Bron Bron’s weenie already. WE all know this dude is a freak of nature…so this post is useless…
December 11th, 2008 at 4:57 am
aaron says:
let me put it like this.
when MJ came in the league there was nobody like him. his size and strength and speed. that combined with his actually having basketball skills and of course that competitiveness made him great.
there hasn’t been another athlete like that until bron really. other’s were close but no one had the total combo like jordan did.
when jordan entered there were a couple that could jump as high but they either weren’t as tall or as fast
others as fast that couldn’t jump that high and…
others that strong at that size but not as fast with the hops.
basically these freaks. the only true freak since MJ has been shaq. Guys who have ability but are such physical specimens they can dominate and really change the game.
Grant was close but he wasn’t head and shoulders athletically above everyone else.
Vince was close but he didn’t have the heart mainly. Truthfully it probably should have been Vince.
Bron brings it, updated for the new millennium.
December 11th, 2008 at 7:32 am
original2k9 says:
he was made in the same laboratory as usain bolt…
December 11th, 2008 at 8:04 am
Eric says:
There’s no way in hell Lebron ways 260 lbs, let alone 274lbs. You people need to stop with this Lebron shit.
December 11th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Dark says:
oh come on.
we’re talking about athletic ability right? not about having awesome handle or jumper.
so you already forgotten about hakeem?
and yes, shaq and wilt are tops in the freak department.
December 11th, 2008 at 9:31 am
ab_40 says:
I don’t know wilt was 7-2 300 pounds and had a 40 inch vert. And a young shaq was amazing too (he was compared to wilt) LeBron all time? no right now? he’s the best in the spotlight.
December 11th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Heckler says:
BO JACKSON
December 11th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Edub says:
Mike Tyson, back in the 80s. When the dude was 18 he was as big a freak as bron.
December 11th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
dapro says:
MJ is the GOAT but they’re are and where many players similar to build, speed, strength in comparison
MJ’s will separated him not athleticism alone
December 11th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Tim says:
here’s how he did it:
http://www.squidoo.com/LeBronJamesDunk
December 11th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
PJ 310 says:
WOW did you guys forget how much of a beast Shaq is (was)?
December 11th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Billy Sunday says:
lebron has a 46 inch vertical leap
December 11th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
L.S. says:
Deion Sanders… Hell, Barry Sanders for that matter…
But yes, LeBron is the real deal… He’s the total package athletically…
December 11th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
$filmoney$ says:
Well I’ve said the exact same thing, the boy ain’t human. To quote lil’ Wayne, he is not the same he is a martian.
June 1st, 2009 at 3:45 pm
mcstowy says:
If Lebron were:
5 inches taller
30-40 pounds heavier
a step or 2 faster
a better verticle leap
stronger
a better rebounder
a better passer
a better scorer
a better shot-blocker
a better defender
he’d be; Wilt Chamberlain