Ever since he was a national sensation during his days at St. Vincent-St. Mary high school, the eyes of the world were set over LeBron James. Some thought he’d never make it in the NBA, some thought he’d be the greatest player of all time.
Regardless of their stance on James, everybody knew everything about him, his whereabouts, his habits, and even his friends, as his high school teammates put together a bit of an All-Star squad back in the day.
Obviously, with all that kind of attention and all the media waiting for you to mess up, a 17-year-old LeBron James had some issues dealing with the fame, as he confessed in 2009 in his book ‘Shooting Stars’.
LeBron James Admitted He Smoked Weed In High School, Said He Was A ‘Big-Head Jerk’
LeBron said that he didn’t know how to handle all that attention as a junior after appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and admitted that he was so full of himself but also pointed the finger at those who let him and his friends behave that way:
“We had become big-headed jerks, me in particular, and we are to blame for that, but so are adults who treated us that way and then sat back and smugly watched the self-destruction,” James said.
“I was arrogant, dubbing myself ‘The Chosen One,’” James said.“In hindsight, I should have kept quiet, but I also was what I was, a teenager where every reporter in the world seemed to be rushing toward me at once,” LeBron added.
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Moreover, The King admitted that he and his friends were smoking weed in a hotel room, while the media was right outside like”excited spectators at a car crash,” especially after his mother Gloria James had just bought a Hummer after getting a $50,000 loan.
“Was the vehicle excessive, with its bank of three televisions? Maybe. Probably. Of course it was. So were the BMWs parked in the St. V lot, belonging to fellow students. But nobody ever questioned those,” LeBron concluded.
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Everyone is entitled to make mistakes and it’s safe to say that LeBron learned his lessons in due time. He takes better care of his body than anyone else in the league and it’s shown by dominating the NBA for 17 years now.
