LeBron James is undisputedly one of the greatest players in NBA history. He was advertised as the biggest thing since Michael Jordan, and it’s safe to say that he lived up to that hype.
Even his biggest rivals and haters have no choice but to tip their hats off to him. He’s universally respected among his peers, and some of them even consider him the GOAT of basketball.
Notably, that wasn’t always the case. Back when he was just a rookie with the Cleveland Cavaliers his teammates actually didn’t like him, with former coach Paul Silas stating that it was just a matter of ego.
LeBron’s Teammates Didn’t Like Him During His Rookie Season
“Their egos wouldn’t allow it,” Silas said. “I kept telling them, ‘You have a chance to help one of the game’s future stars,’ but they wouldn’t embrace him. If it bothered LeBron, he never let on.”
“We won 35 games that year because of him,” added Silas. “He’s had some outstanding seasons since then, but that first one may have been the most impressive because of how he excelled in spite of the jealousy on his own team.”
Carlos Boozer infamously said that a high school kid wouldn’t be able to make an impact right away in the NBA, but James was no ordinary high school kid, and it didn’t take long before he proved that.
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One by one, James silenced almost all of the doubters and the naysayers. And even though some may still not be a fan of him or his game, his résumé speaks for itself.
