What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school?

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Re: What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school? 

Post#21 » by Dthrill55 » Mon Mar 24, 2025 8:58 pm

Size, skill, BBIQ, and didnt shrink under the pressure
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Re: What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school? 

Post#22 » by TheGeneral99 » Mon Mar 24, 2025 8:59 pm

At 16 years old, Lebron already had an NBA body, was 6'8, his athleticism and hand eye coordination was ridiculous, and he was already a very good ball handler, had a soft touch and was regarded as an elite facilitator and leader who made his teammates better.

It was very obvious that he was going to be a superstar, there was almost absolute certainty that he was going to be a force in the NBA right away.
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Re: What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school? 

Post#23 » by TheGeneral99 » Mon Mar 24, 2025 9:03 pm

Lalouie wrote:it's his IQ

lebron wasn't "extra-ordinary" in size,,,not that i can see, as a senior in HS he was listed at 6'6. he couldn't shoot.

but everyone talking about his passing which is a unique thing in high school. it bespeaks intelligence at an early age. you don't get too many of those but you get lots of players who can jump out of the gym

lonzo is the other who got tons of ink as a highIQ passer in high school

flagg 's IQ is talked about too. you just don't see that in HS


Lebron was extraordinary in athleticism - you rarely ever see a guy 6'8 that is that strong, explosive, fast and has such great hand eye coordination.
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Re: What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school? 

Post#24 » by jbsays » Mon Mar 24, 2025 9:13 pm

I don't think anyone thought he would be as good as he turned out. I remember at the time some saying Carmelo might be better because he was only one year older and coming off an insane run as a freshman at Syracuse. Nothing is ever guaranteed with any pick. Hell look at same draft where Darko went 2nd right after Lebron. Slam magazine had Lebron and Sebastian Telfair on same cover. Both of those guys came right out of high school and Telfair had a solid career, but never made an Allstar game.
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Re: What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school? 

Post#25 » by cgf » Mon Mar 24, 2025 9:14 pm

Everything. His physical tools were ridiculous, his hand-eye co-ordination was exceptional, and his instincts/intelligence were off the charts. His shooting was the only thing that wasn't A++, and shooting wasn't valued as much back then.
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Re: What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school? 

Post#26 » by Jcool0 » Mon Mar 24, 2025 9:19 pm

pipfan wrote:Huge LBJ hater, but it was obvious he was super elite. I have him as the 2nd best draft prospect ever, just behind KAJ. Wemby and Walton might be close (Wilt?). But it was clear he was going to be a super-duper star, due to his IQ and athletic gifts.

I honestly think he's the best athlete in human history


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Re: What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school? 

Post#27 » by cgf » Mon Mar 24, 2025 9:26 pm

jbsays wrote:I don't think anyone thought he would be as good as he turned out. I remember at the time some saying Carmelo might be better because he was only one year older and coming off an insane run as a freshman at Syracuse. Nothing is ever guaranteed with any pick. Hell look at same draft where Darko went 2nd right after Lebron. Slam magazine had Lebron and Sebastian Telfair on same cover. Both of those guys came right out of high school and Telfair had a solid career, but never made an Allstar game.


I mean, maybe not the durability, but the expectations were for him to pick the mantle from MJ in a way Kobe never managed to.
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Re: What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school? 

Post#28 » by cgf » Mon Mar 24, 2025 9:27 pm

Jcool0 wrote:
pipfan wrote:Huge LBJ hater, but it was obvious he was super elite. I have him as the 2nd best draft prospect ever, just behind KAJ. Wemby and Walton might be close (Wilt?). But it was clear he was going to be a super-duper star, due to his IQ and athletic gifts.

I honestly think he's the best athlete in human history


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MJ may have been a better basketball player, but LeBron was certainly the better athlete.
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Re: What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school? 

Post#29 » by MrGoat » Mon Mar 24, 2025 9:38 pm

Extreme athleticism with a heavy frame. A 6' 8" kid who weighed 250+ and could move like that, was a natural passer was destined to be an extremely tough player to defend in the NBA, and even though he couldn't shoot at first that was much less of a sticking point in 2003. It was similar to the hype around Zion before people realized how hard a time he has putting down the fork
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Re: What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school? 

Post#30 » by Jcool0 » Mon Mar 24, 2025 9:40 pm

cgf wrote:
Jcool0 wrote:
pipfan wrote:Huge LBJ hater, but it was obvious he was super elite. I have him as the 2nd best draft prospect ever, just behind KAJ. Wemby and Walton might be close (Wilt?). But it was clear he was going to be a super-duper star, due to his IQ and athletic gifts.

I honestly think he's the best athlete in human history


Image


MJ may have been a better basketball player, but LeBron was certainly the better athlete.


MJ was not only better at basketball. He was the better athlete. Being 6'8" 240 at 18 doesn't make you a great athlete (LeBron is a great athlete FWIW).
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Re: What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school? 

Post#31 » by TheGeneral99 » Mon Mar 24, 2025 9:45 pm

Jcool0 wrote:
cgf wrote:
Jcool0 wrote:
Image


MJ may have been a better basketball player, but LeBron was certainly the better athlete.


MJ was not only better at basketball. He was the better athlete. Being 6'8" 240 at 18 doesn't make you a great athlete (LeBron is a great athlete FWIW).


Both MJ and Lebron are the two greatest athletes in basketball of the last 40 years.

MJ - Ultra elite jumping ability, crazy speed, elusive quickness, huge hands and wingspan, very strong, top tier hand eye coordination and touch.

Lebron - Crazy frame and wingspan, elite strength, elite speed for his body, great quickness, top tier hand eye coordination and touch.

I would say MJ was definitely more explosive and faster than Lebron, but Lebron's explosiveness and speed for his bulky frame and size was something we've never seen. I would also say that MJ was very strong despite his 6'5 leaner frame.

Also, both guys rarely ever got injured.

Good arguments for both being 1A and 1B.
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Re: What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school? 

Post#32 » by Lalouie » Mon Mar 24, 2025 9:54 pm

TheGeneral99 wrote:
Lalouie wrote:it's his IQ

lebron wasn't "extra-ordinary" in size,,,not that i can see, as a senior in HS he was listed at 6'6. he couldn't shoot.

but everyone talking about his passing which is a unique thing in high school. it bespeaks intelligence at an early age. you don't get too many of those but you get lots of players who can jump out of the gym

lonzo is the other who got tons of ink as a highIQ passer in high school

flagg 's IQ is talked about too. you just don't see that in HS


Lebron was extraordinary in athleticism - you rarely ever see a guy 6'8 that is that strong, explosive, fast and has such great hand eye coordination.


in high school, he's listed at 6'6
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Re: What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school? 

Post#33 » by Lalouie » Mon Mar 24, 2025 10:00 pm

TheGeneral99 wrote:
Jcool0 wrote:
cgf wrote:
MJ may have been a better basketball player, but LeBron was certainly the better athlete.


MJ was not only better at basketball. He was the better athlete. Being 6'8" 240 at 18 doesn't make you a great athlete (LeBron is a great athlete FWIW).


Both MJ and Lebron are the two greatest athletes in basketball of the last 40 years.

MJ - Ultra elite jumping ability, crazy speed, elusive quickness, huge hands and wingspan, very strong, top tier hand eye coordination and touch.

Lebron - Crazy frame and wingspan, elite strength, elite speed for his body, great quickness, top tier hand eye coordination and touch.

I would say MJ was definitely more explosive and faster than Lebron, but Lebron's explosiveness and speed for his bulky frame and size was something we've never seen. I would also say that MJ was very strong despite his 6'5 leaner frame.

Also, both guys rarely ever got injured.

Good arguments for both being 1A and 1B.



i'll take the massive hands. it makes a player unguardable and imho 8>10" longer just by simple extension

wouldn't be surprised if gervin had large hands. i don't remember him flaunting them though. players with large hands play like they have large hands
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Re: What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school? 

Post#34 » by Lalouie » Mon Mar 24, 2025 10:02 pm

TheGeneral99 wrote:
Jcool0 wrote:
cgf wrote:
MJ may have been a better basketball player, but LeBron was certainly the better athlete.


MJ was not only better at basketball. He was the better athlete. Being 6'8" 240 at 18 doesn't make you a great athlete (LeBron is a great athlete FWIW).


Both MJ and Lebron are the two greatest athletes in basketball of the last 40 years.

MJ - Ultra elite jumping ability, crazy speed, elusive quickness, huge hands and wingspan, very strong, top tier hand eye coordination and touch.

Lebron - Crazy frame and wingspan, elite strength, elite speed for his body, great quickness, top tier hand eye coordination and touch.

I would say MJ was definitely more explosive and faster than Lebron, but Lebron's explosiveness and speed for his bulky frame and size was something we've never seen. I would also say that MJ was very strong despite his 6'5 leaner frame.

Also, both guys rarely ever got injured.

Good arguments for both being 1A and 1B.


6'6 listed
mj was not an "ordinary" 6'5 :) :) :) he played BIG
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Re: What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school? 

Post#35 » by dhsilv2 » Mon Mar 24, 2025 10:08 pm

TheGeneral99 wrote:
Jcool0 wrote:
cgf wrote:
MJ may have been a better basketball player, but LeBron was certainly the better athlete.


MJ was not only better at basketball. He was the better athlete. Being 6'8" 240 at 18 doesn't make you a great athlete (LeBron is a great athlete FWIW).


Both MJ and Lebron are the two greatest athletes in basketball of the last 40 years.

MJ - Ultra elite jumping ability, crazy speed, elusive quickness, huge hands and wingspan, very strong, top tier hand eye coordination and touch.

Lebron - Crazy frame and wingspan, elite strength, elite speed for his body, great quickness, top tier hand eye coordination and touch.

I would say MJ was definitely more explosive and faster than Lebron, but Lebron's explosiveness and speed for his bulky frame and size was something we've never seen. I would also say that MJ was very strong despite his 6'5 leaner frame.

Also, both guys rarely ever got injured.

Good arguments for both being 1A and 1B.


MJ had to add considerable size to his frame once he was in the league to really max out his athletic ability. Lebron at 18 was a monster. In terms of prospects the athletic gap was pretty considerable. MJ even had time at UNC to add size.
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Re: What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school? 

Post#36 » by dhsilv2 » Mon Mar 24, 2025 10:10 pm

Jcool0 wrote:
pipfan wrote:Huge LBJ hater, but it was obvious he was super elite. I have him as the 2nd best draft prospect ever, just behind KAJ. Wemby and Walton might be close (Wilt?). But it was clear he was going to be a super-duper star, due to his IQ and athletic gifts.

I honestly think he's the best athlete in human history


Image


As dumb as Mike is in terms of talent scouting. Even he'd tell you he wasn't close to Lebron.
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Re: What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school? 

Post#37 » by Jcool0 » Mon Mar 24, 2025 10:28 pm

dhsilv2 wrote:
TheGeneral99 wrote:
Jcool0 wrote:
MJ was not only better at basketball. He was the better athlete. Being 6'8" 240 at 18 doesn't make you a great athlete (LeBron is a great athlete FWIW).


Both MJ and Lebron are the two greatest athletes in basketball of the last 40 years.

MJ - Ultra elite jumping ability, crazy speed, elusive quickness, huge hands and wingspan, very strong, top tier hand eye coordination and touch.

Lebron - Crazy frame and wingspan, elite strength, elite speed for his body, great quickness, top tier hand eye coordination and touch.

I would say MJ was definitely more explosive and faster than Lebron, but Lebron's explosiveness and speed for his bulky frame and size was something we've never seen. I would also say that MJ was very strong despite his 6'5 leaner frame.

Also, both guys rarely ever got injured.

Good arguments for both being 1A and 1B.


MJ had to add considerable size to his frame once he was in the league to really max out his athletic ability. Lebron at 18 was a monster. In terms of prospects the athletic gap was pretty considerable. MJ even had time at UNC to add size.


No one was "adding size" back then. MJ was one of the first to do it. He was getting beat up by the Pistons. It wasn't so much to maximize anything. He was already dunking over everyone before he did that.
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Re: What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school? 

Post#38 » by dhsilv2 » Mon Mar 24, 2025 10:31 pm

Jcool0 wrote:
dhsilv2 wrote:
TheGeneral99 wrote:
Both MJ and Lebron are the two greatest athletes in basketball of the last 40 years.

MJ - Ultra elite jumping ability, crazy speed, elusive quickness, huge hands and wingspan, very strong, top tier hand eye coordination and touch.

Lebron - Crazy frame and wingspan, elite strength, elite speed for his body, great quickness, top tier hand eye coordination and touch.

I would say MJ was definitely more explosive and faster than Lebron, but Lebron's explosiveness and speed for his bulky frame and size was something we've never seen. I would also say that MJ was very strong despite his 6'5 leaner frame.

Also, both guys rarely ever got injured.

Good arguments for both being 1A and 1B.


MJ had to add considerable size to his frame once he was in the league to really max out his athletic ability. Lebron at 18 was a monster. In terms of prospects the athletic gap was pretty considerable. MJ even had time at UNC to add size.


No one was "adding size" back then. MJ was one of the first to do it. He was getting beat up by the Pistons. It wasn't so much to maximize anything. He was already dunking over everyone before he did that.


I'm well aware that weight training was not as common and gear use was just starting as well. Doesn't change that as a prospect...I mean we don't even need go further than MJ wasn't even the first pick. He wasn't on Lebron's level as an athletic prospect.
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Re: What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school? 

Post#39 » by Jcool0 » Mon Mar 24, 2025 10:34 pm

dhsilv2 wrote:
Jcool0 wrote:
pipfan wrote:Huge LBJ hater, but it was obvious he was super elite. I have him as the 2nd best draft prospect ever, just behind KAJ. Wemby and Walton might be close (Wilt?). But it was clear he was going to be a super-duper star, due to his IQ and athletic gifts.

I honestly think he's the best athlete in human history


Image


As dumb as Mike is in terms of talent scouting. Even he'd tell you he wasn't close to Lebron.


Sure man... Sure...

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Re: What made LeBron such a “can’t-miss” prospect in high school? 

Post#40 » by Jcool0 » Mon Mar 24, 2025 10:35 pm

dhsilv2 wrote:
Jcool0 wrote:
dhsilv2 wrote:
MJ had to add considerable size to his frame once he was in the league to really max out his athletic ability. Lebron at 18 was a monster. In terms of prospects the athletic gap was pretty considerable. MJ even had time at UNC to add size.


No one was "adding size" back then. MJ was one of the first to do it. He was getting beat up by the Pistons. It wasn't so much to maximize anything. He was already dunking over everyone before he did that.


I'm well aware that weight training was not as common and gear use was just starting as well. Doesn't change that as a prospect...I mean we don't even need go further than MJ wasn't even the first pick. He wasn't on Lebron's level as an athletic prospect.


LeBron wouldn't of been the 1st pick of 1984. It was a different NBA. Centers ruled the NBA.

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