Perhaps I’m just feeling sentimental while reading Hanif Abdurraqib’s new book There’s Always This Year (which I cannot recommend strongly enough), which chronicles, among other things, the last few decades in Ohio basketball. But it’s genuinely hard for me to believe that’s it’s been 21 years since the Sports Illustrated-cover appearing, heir apparent to the Michael Jordan throne, once-in-a-generation kid, LeBron James, entered the draft. In so many ways, I remember it like it was yesterday, even though it was well over half my lifetime ago.
The Golden State Warriors never had more than a wish or a prayer at James, carrying just a 0.