Long before Victor Wembanyama, LeBron James had a pretty crazy hype before his arrival in the NBA. The media considered him the future greatest player in history, with this famous Sports Illustrated front page with the mention “the chosen one”. In private, the King even had some advantages.

Still at the top despite approaching 39 years old, LeBron James was destined to have a great career in the NBA. He was considered by the media as the future of the league, with his famous nickname The Chosen One, or the chosen one in French. He quickly confirmed all his talent from his first match in the Cavaliers jersey, before experiencing the career we know today.

And it’s not over for the Akron native. He is chasing his 5th ring, the second with the Lakers, and continues to display great performances under the leadership of Darvin Ham. Promising for the future, even if there are inevitably some people jealous of such a spectacle. This is the opinion of his agent Rich Paul, who knows that his client has had to deal with a lot of criticism throughout his career.

When Jay-Z did LeBron James a favor

It must be recognized that James had a very different start to his career from the others. Even crazier than Victor Wembanyama’s at the moment. He had numerous perks before his arrival in the league, including a contract approaching $100 million with Nike… as well as a private jet. Rich Paul tells Shannon Sharpe recently.

Rich Paul on the negative criticism LeBron James receives:

“It's corny… $100M contract, Jay-Z sending a private jet when he was in high school… That develops envy."

(via @ClubShayShay, h/t

@ClutchPoints) pic.twitter.com/zyZEQvyRmG

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 29, 2023

Rich Paul on the negative criticism that LeBron James may have received: “It’s ridiculous… but he had a $100 million contract, Jay-Z sent him his private jet when he was in high school… It builds envy . »

NBA veterans didn’t appreciate seeing an 18-year-old kid get all that, not to mention the fact that he was already making a mockery of the competition on the court. The hype was truly on another level in 2003, and we can easily say that James lived up to it with 4 titles and several MVPs, not to mention his countless records in the league. Apparently, Jay-Z and company were not wrong about him.

Not even an adult in the USA, LeBron James was entitled to some great benefits before his arrival in the NBA. Jay-Z didn’t hesitate to give him a little helping hand, even if the King already had the money to treat himself. A real phenomenon.