LeBron James had one of the best high school basketball careers in NBA history. He is considered to be the greatest high school basketball player of all time. During his high school days, he was the best player in the country. However, James wasn’t always considered the best player in the country.

LeBron look back: When King James played in Pittsburgh as a high school senior | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Lenny Cooke, who was two years older than LeBron, was ranked higher than the LA Lakers star in his high school days. However, he went undrafted in the 2002 NBA Draft and never played in the NBA, despite having the skillset.

LeBron recently shared a clip on his Instagram that had Lenny talking about James and Carmelo Anthony. Lenny is heard saying “he aight” about Anthony, after defeating him. Anthony was also one of the best high school players in the country.

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However, things took a massive turn for Cooke when he faced LeBron in the championship game. LeBron not only beat Lenny in the championship game but also outscored him 24-9. On top of that, James hit a 35-footer one-legged buzzer-beater to win the game.


Since that championship game when LeBron humbled Lenny, the rest is just history. The Lakers star was selected No. 1 in the 2003 NBA Draft, and Melo was selected third by the Denver Nuggets. While Lenny failed to make it to the NBA, Melo and LeBron secured dazzling careers for themselves.

LeBron James’ legendary high school career

LeBron James’ high school career is perhaps the most decorated in high school basketball history. Only Kareen Abdul-Jabbar’s high school career comes close to his in terms of popularity and success.

In his freshman year, LeBron James was 6-foot-2-inch tall, and he averaged 21 points and six rebounds. The Fighting Irish went 27–0 in the season and won the Division III state title, an unprecedented record of being an undefeated boys high school in Ohio.

In his sophomore year, his high school played in the University of Akron’s Rhodes Arena because there was a high demand for tickets. During his sophomore year, James averaged 25.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 3.8 steals per game. The Fighting Irish won the state championship again and had a record of 26-1. He became the only sophomore player to be named Ohio Mr. Basketball. He was also selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team.

He was already ultra-hyped up by the time he entered junior year. His performance did not see any signs of slowing down. He averaged 29 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 3.3 steals per game. He also became the first junior to be named male basketball Gatorade National Player of the Year. However, St. Vincent–St. Mary lost the Division II championship game, finishing the season with a 23–4 record.

In his senior year, James traveled with his high school team across America to play against highly ranked national teams. For the third consecutive year, he was named Ohio Mr. Basketball and again selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team. He finished the year with 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.4 steals per game.