Overview

""A well-rounded, personal portrait of the young superstar"" -- Booklist An up-close look at young LeBron James when he was basketball's hottest prospect, poised at the brink of superstardom. Sportswriter David Lee Morgan covered the LeBron phenomenon for the Akron Beacon Journal starting with LeBron's freshman year in high school and had unequaled access to LeBron, his family, and his close friends. He saw the exceptional play on the basketball court and the surprising poise with which LeBron has handled the pressure, the scrutiny, the criticism that arrived with the early onset of fame. The odds were against James from the start. Born in poverty to a 16-year-old single mom, without a stable home for the first decade of his life, LeBron could have become just one more scarred product of a rough childhood in the projects. Instead, he became the darling of the sports world--and he plays the part well. He was called the best high school basketball player ever. He made the cover of Sports Illustrated as a junior, was featured on national television, and signed more than $100 million in promotional contracts before the end of his senior year. It was no surprise when he became the no-doubt-about-it No. 1 pick in the NBA draft right after high school graduation. This is a story for any fan who wants to get to know LeBron better, and for anyone curious about how a high-school basketball phenom is made.

Full Product Details

9781886228740

Table of Contents

Reviews

"A behind-the-scenes, in-depth, touch-your-heart kind of book.--Rob Mangino ""WKBN AM Radio"" (10/16/2003 12:00:00 AM) A portrait of a boy who almost always had that special spark that defines him in the NBA today . . . Morgan doesn't gloss over the controversy that surrounded the player when he accepted gifts as an amateur, a violation of the high school rules. He just comes across as a typical teen who sometimes screws up, albeit one with a prodigious talent.-- ""School Library Journal"" (6/1/2004 12:00:00 AM) An intimate look at James' life and incredible basketball career . . . a well-rounded, personal portrait of the young superstar, which does an excellent job of depicting the intense pressure and scrutiny James and his family had to endure when he became basketball's hottest prospect. Sixty color photographs will entice sports fans to this inspiring, well-written biography.--Ed Sullivan ""Booklist"" (3/8/2004 12:00:00 AM) Morgan's years covering James for the Beacon Journal have given him a depth of understanding . . . It's a story of persistence, focus and strong loyalties with appeal well beyond the ranks of sports fans.--Donna Marchetti ""The Plain Dealer"" (10/25/2003 12:00:00 AM) Reads like LeBron on the break--quick and controlled--with a good mix of photos . . . Along the way [you'll discover] some things that you might not know about LeBron, even if you've been following his career since he was . . . well, a kid.--Steve Gleydura ""Cleveland Magazine"" (12/1/2003 12:00:00 AM) Selected as one of the year's best books for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.-- ""American Library Association"" (1/24/2005 12:00:00 AM)"

Reads like LeBron on the break--quick and controlled--with a good mix of photos . . . Along the way [you'll discover] some things that you might not know about LeBron, even if you've been following his career since he was . . . well, a kid.--Steve Gleydura Cleveland Magazine (12/01/2003)

Selected for Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). The Quick Picks committee seeks books that teens, ages 12-18, will pick up on their own and read for pleasure. -- Young Adult Library Services Association American Library Association An intimate look at James' life and incredible basketball career, following him to the moment when he became the number-one NBA draft pick . . . does an excellent job of depicting the intense pressure and scrutiny James and his family had to endure when he became basketball's hottest prospect. -- Book Reviewer Booklist A story of persistence, focus and strong loyalties with appeal well beyond the ranks of sports fans. -- Book Reviewer The Plain Dealer Doesn't weigh readers down with scores and statistics. Through interviews with those who knew LeBron while he was growing up (poor but loved in Akron, OH), the author draws a portrait of a boy who almost always had that special spark that defines him in the NBA today. -- Book Reviewer School Library Journal An intimate look at James' life and incredible basketball career . . . a well-rounded, personal portrait of the young superstar, which does an excellent job of depicting the intense pressure and scrutiny James and his family had to endure when he became basketball's hottest prospect. Sixty color photographs will entice sports fans to this inspiring, well-written biography.--Ed Sullivan Booklist (03/08/2004) A behind-the-scenes, in-depth, touch-your-heart kind of book.--Rob Mangino WKBN AM Radio (10/16/2003) Morgan's years covering James for the Beacon Journal have given him a depth of understanding . . . It's a story of persistence, focus and strong loyalties with appeal well beyond the ranks of sports fans.--Donna Marchetti The Plain Dealer (10/25/2003) Reads like LeBron on the break--quick and controlled--with a good mix of photos . . . Along the way [you'll discover] some things that you might not know about LeBron, even if you've been following his career since he was . . . well, a kid.--Steve Gleydura Cleveland Magazine (12/01/2003)

Author Information

David Lee Morgan, Jr. was a sports reporter for the Akron Beacon Journal from 1995 to 2010, where he won several awards for his coverage of high school sports, including the James A. Sutherland Award, given to the top rookie reporter in Northeast Ohio. He is a former high school and collegiate athlete.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available