Easily comparable to some of the greatest to ever step foot on the court, one of the Lakers’ all-time star players is LeBron James. Being widely considered to be one of the best players of all time, despite his popularity, there are still some exciting facets to this complicated man that many people don’t know.
Ambidextrous
While basketball has been his career, James was also considering other sports while still in high school. Thanks to the fact he is equally as skilled with both hands, he was very talented at a wide range of sports – including American football.
This ambidexterity didn’t just offer him the chance to compete in multiple sports – it has also helped him excel at the sport he chose to play, Basketball.
An Agent Tried to Bribe Him
For his 18th birthday, James received a brand new GMC Hummer from his mom, which raised a few eyebrows as the family was of very modest means, living in subsidized housing, and didn’t hit the jackpot at some new online casino.
It turned out that the hummer was a gift to James’ Mother from an NBA agent who wanted to scout James, which set off all kinds of alarms. The Ohio High School Athletic Association launched an investigation and what was a simple birthday gift was now a hot topic worldwide.
This would’ve been illegal if James had applied to college from high school, but since he set straight out on a path from the NBA, the transaction was eventually deemed perfectly fine.
Never Knew His Biological Father
Being only 16 years old when she gave birth to him, LeBron James’ mother, Gloria Marie, raised her son the best she could. James’ biological father never wanted to be a part of his son’s life when he was growing up, and his stepfather was in legal issues for being caught trafficking cocaine.
Some view these issues as a child as one of the many reasons he’s so great and adds more to the incredible journey he’s come on.
Wanted to leave High School Early
Carrying on from our earlier point, LeBron’s talent was undeniable even during his early years in high school. He was so superior to his peers that James petitioned the NBA to let him join the league when he was just 16 years old. The NBA denied the petition and made James stay in school until he was 18 and had graduated.
Liverpool Football Club Owner
James became a minority owner of international soccer Liverpool of the English Premier League in 2011, one year after departing the Cleveland Cavaliers via his interest in Fenway Sports Group (FSG).
FSG, which owns the Boston Red Sox purchased Liverpool in 2010 for more than $400 million. FSG’s principal owner is businessman John Henry with investment partners including Arctos Sports, who added former Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein to its group last month. Henry also owns the Boston Globe.