In addition to all that, James hailed from the economically depressed industrial city of Akron, Ohio, and was raised by a poor, single, working mother. Drugs and violence are by no means uncommon in Akron, where a huge percentage of young black males wind up in the penitentiary system. But LeBron, called by some a rose that grew from concrete, kept his eyes on the prize and turned to the basketball court as a refuge.

Soon, sports publications featured him on their covers and dubbed him King James and the Chosen One. After graduating from high school, he passed up college to directly enter the National Basketball Association's 2003 draft, where he was the first overall selection in an inordinately talent-filled draft class, snatched up by the beleaguered league basement-dwellers -- the Cleveland Cavaliers. And, from the first day, Cleveland, hardly 50 kilometres from nearby Akron, looked to James as no less than a home-grown hero and a saviour. He signed a US $90 million (Rs 436 crore) shoe contract with Nike before ever playing a game as a professional.

Text: Matthew Schneeberger | Photographs: Reuters