LeBron James: King of Basketball

After spending seven years with the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James joins the Miami Heat to become teammates with Dwayne Wade.  LeBron will make his debut as a Heat during the 2010-2011 season.

King James began his NBA career in 2003 at a very young age of 19. Despite being so young, the Cleveland Cavaliers had so much high hopes resting on him. The Cavaliers had not been a serious title contender in forever and a moon before his arrival.

Coming out of high school, Le Bron James was touted by the media as the "next" basketball superstar. Nike even gave him an endorsement contract before playing his first professional basketball game.

The Cavaliers and basketball fans are not disappointed. LeBron James was the 2003-04 Rookie of the Year. And has been voted in the All-Stars since 2005. More importantly, the Cleveland Cavaliers has become a playoff team since 2006 with King James as the center of the lineup.

To top it off, LeBron James is a very marketable guy, making his career more fun for him and his fans.  He was one of the better athlete guest host for Saturday Night Live.  You constantly see him in commercials.  And he even made an indie movie called More Than a Game, which received high praises from critics and fans.

Being a NBA basketball fan, I'm always optimistic over the rise of young stars with hopes that they have the longevity longer than their prime playing years. I grew up watching Bird and Magic, perennial legends who were well-known for their playmaking skills just as their scoring skills. Michael Jordan, the quintessential basketball icon, began his career as an incredible individual playmaker. But many fans and analysts agree that his career was brought to the stratosphere when he began getting his team involved.

I'm a lifelong Lakers fan. And currently, enjoying the reign of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and the crew. I believe that the Lakers will have more championships in the immediate future, but I'd like to see them earn or lose to a true competition. With King James, I believe that the Cleveland Cavaliers could bring on the competition. 

Now that Shaq is in the Cleveland Cavaliers lineup, Lebron James may reach the playoff sooner rather than later. With Kobe being still a young player and in the prime of his career, the Lebron vs. Kobe showdown for the NBA championships is hopefully just around the horizon.  I look forward to a few series of those.