Even before he had earned awards and accolades, LeBron James was already being compared to several basketball legends. This was the case when ESPN aired a promo comparing LeBron to some hall-of-famers ahead of his first nationally televised NBA game.
ESPN decided to take followers on a trip down memory lane by posting the promo from LeBron’s rookie season to its Instagram page, which Draymond Green later reposted in his own Instagram Stories.
In his post, Green hailed James as one of the best basketball players ever.
“Only had to be the best ever to not be considered a failure,” wrote Draymond. “And actually went [and] did it! Wow.”
Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.
He was hailed as the next big thing after Michael Jordan, and to James’ credit, he has lived up to those expectations. He now has four NBA titles, four league MVPs, 20 All-Star game selections, and recently won his third Olympic gold medal.
Aside from these awards, he has also surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most points scored all-time. Abdul-Jabbar set the record at 38,387 points career points which was surpassed by James in Feb. 2023. Currently, James has 40,474 career points and he’s not done yet.
With these achievements, it is safe to assume that LeBron will be a first ballot hall-of-famer once he retire
Which legends were named in ESPN’s promo of LeBron James’ first-ever nationally televised game?
When ESPN aired its promo for LeBron James’ first-ever nationally televised NBA game, some of the game’s biggest stars were used as a barometer for expectations of his performance.
The first two stars listed were Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson, whom the promo described as “legendary performers.” They were followed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who was cited for his ability to dominate the paint.
Next came Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, who were included for their elite passing and shooting skills respectively. They were followed by Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant. The promo claimed that one similarity these players had was that they were known by a “single name.”
After that, the promo finally showed LeBron James. While doing so, the question of whether he could create the same legendary status for himself was posed. The promo closed by asking fans to tune in to his first nationally televised game.
In terms of awards and career accomplishments, there is no doubt that LeBron James is at the level of the other legends that were named in the promo.
d in the promo.
