The making of James as MVP

Gregory Dole

• Last Updated: May 07. 2009 8:20PM UAE / May 7. 2009 4:20PM GMT

LeBron James winning the 2008-2009 NBA MVP is an ending fitting for the start. This is the year that marks the 40th anniversary of the Cuyahoga River fire that gave Cleveland the nickname “the mistake on the lake”. In a city besieged by high rates of mortgage foreclosure, Lebron has led his hometown Cavaliers to one of basketball’s greatest regular seasons.

Even Charles Dickens couldn’t have spun a tale so full of magical coincidences. A boy grows up in the shadow of the big city. He becomes the country’s top high school basketballer. With unbelievable luck, the dismal local team wins the NBA draft lottery in the same year the local boy enters the draft. The local boy quickly establishes himself among the league’s best. And finally, this year the championship is within reach.

As LeBron amazes fans on his play-off march, we should thank the mother and the community that helped the young boy become what he is today.

The odds were stacked against LeBron. His single mother Gloria struggled to raise LeBron, at one point sending him to live with an Akron family. When mother and child were together, they lived on social assistance. He could have easily fallen by life’s wayside. But as his mother said, “mad love, we had a lot of that”.

Much like President Obama, LeBron maintains a small circle of confidantes. Fittingly, LeBron chose to have the MVP ceremony take place at his alma mater, St Vincent-St Mary’s high school, instead of the standard event at team headquarters.

The media reported that as LeBron drove in to accept the MVP award, he detoured through the mean streets where he grew up. LeBron’s roots run deep.

I found myself in the middle of LeBron’s whirlwind for several years. What started at the 2003 Atlanta All-Star game, where I rapped Jay-Z lyrics with one of LeBron’s buddies, led to summers in Akron watching LeBron’s off-season scrimmages.

At the NBA’s rookie transition programme, one evening I found myself rebounding for LeBron. The next day I barked at him to settle down when he was acting up during a group exercise. LeBron obliged me and quickly stopped acting like the teenager he was. I was surprised by his obedience. The US$100m (Dh367m) kid paid me the respect of listening. He could have easily acted like a rich brat. Millions of kids raised in better circumstances would have told me to go pound salt. LeBron was respectful, a credit to his family and community.

During those summers around Akron, I realised that I was lucky to be a part of something special. Few were invited. I was there because I had contacts to decent players who would scrimmage against LeBron. The day of a game, I would receive a text message with a time and location. It was all very discreet.

One time I was asked to get some cases of bottled water, but came back with the wrong brand. LeBron was a Coca-Cola guy.

I headed back to the store and explained that I needed a different brand. When the clerk asked why, I told him that I was getting the water for LeBron and he only drank Dasani. As I drove back to the gym, I noticed the clerk was following me.

Like a character in a cop thriller, I then led the clerk on a wild chase through Akron, trying to lose the tail. The King’s location would not be compromised.

LeBron has succeeded because of his Akron community. They nurtured him when the going was tough and celebrated along with him when the going got good. I doubt he ever leaves Cleveland.



gdole@thenational.ae