This story first appeared in SLAM 237.

Was the hype too much?

LeBron had yet to play a single NBA game when he appeared on his second SLAM cover. It should’ve been his third. We’d missed an opportunity a couple of years prior and weren’t about to play it cool for SLAM 71. Former Ed. Ryan Jones had invested in the LBJ tokens early, forging a relationship with The Chosen One and his family that would lead to open doors for the SLAM Fam in the years to come. Not least, this opportunity to capture the globally anticipated dawn of James’ NBA career. Iced out, Bron rocked an MJ All-Star jersey, requested a SLAM headband and held the poise of either an established vet or a high school kid who somehow knew the future. The moment was immortalized by legendary photographer Jonathan Mannion, the genius who shot images for your favorite rapper’s greatest album.

Was it too much? Was he ready?

At just 18 years old, Lebron James was not only built like a super-human adult, but he also held a maturity and determination that enabled him to face the fiercest of battles, the toughest of these battles (perhaps) being off the court. The steady drone of unrelenting criticism has played on throughout his basketball career. Even so, he has repeatedly demonstrated an incomparable ability to ignore negativity and surpass the mindless demands for failure.

Studying this cover, and observing a certain Super Bowl commercial had me reflecting on what is possibly the biggest achievement in his storied career: resilience.

I think LeBron will hang up the sneaks at some point in the next few years. When we reflect on the last two decades, we will of course discuss his sensational rookie season, his multiple playoff appearances, the Olympic golds, the Heatles, the return to Cleveland, the L.A. years, the MVP seasons, the All-Star Games, Space Jam 2: A New Legacy and the rest that we are yet to witness. The GOAT discussions, the heated debates…they’ve already been going on for a few years now. And the fact that all of this derived from a high school kid with the world on his shoulders, not to mention an immeasurable amount of haters, is nothing less than remarkable.

Was the hype too much? Not even close. Was he ready? Incredibly, he was.