With a Little Help from His Friends

I wonder what, if any, connection LeBron James has to his peers. When I say “peer,” I’m not referring to Dwyane Wade or Kobe Bryant or any other NBA superstar. By my count, LeBron only had 3 peers among “active” American athletes: Venus Williams, Serena Williams, and Tiger Woods. Among the not active, but living, I see Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Whether it was a media creation, his own doing, or some combination thereof, LeBron James entered the NBA with an unenviable expectation. For him, anything less than becoming the best player in this history of the game would be viewed by many as a disappointment. Although it was a very different time when he entered the league, Kareem can relate to those expectations. Tiger can, too.

To a somewhat lesser degree, the Williams Sisters entered the professional tennis ranks with a need to be the greatest. While neither was expected to be great, greatness was required of both of them. Media hatred and disdain for their father was high. Both Venus and Serena faced “who do they think they are?” scrutiny. In a way, LeBron’s situation is most similar to their plight, especially Venus’. In 1999, Venus sat in the stands as the less heralded Serena won the family’s first Grand Slam championship. I remember watching her that day and wondering if she would ever recover, if she would ever become a great champion.

In the years that followed Serena’s breakthrough at the US Open, Venus proved that she could. I think it would be very difficult to overstate the amount of mental fortitude and self-confidence it took for Venus to become the world’s #1 player just a little more than a year later.

Venus’ September 1999 is where LeBron finds himself right now. I wonder if they’re friends. I wonder if they talk.

There are only a few who know the weight of the burden on his shoulders. I hope one or some of them are there to share the load.