In February 2002, when high school junior LeBron James came into the national consciousness and Plays Illustrated flowed a cover story calling him ” The Chosen One ,” what could any tolerable party imagine? Another young athletic phenom, for one–with the potential to fall short of the promotion. It had happened many times in athletics before LeBron, and many times since: the can’t-miss athletics teen who impres out. In fact, America’s premier sporting publicity mill, ESPN, heaped even more expectations on James in his elderly time, reserving coveted airtime for his high school recreations.

Given its own history of highly tipped contestants falling short, probably few would bet that he’d become the first actor to lead three different units to NBA claims, as LeBron did Friday night when his Los Angeles Lakers steamrolled the Miami Heat 106 -9 3 in the championship-clinching Game 6 of the NBA Finals. LeBron tallied 28 stations, grabbed 14 rebounds and dished out 10 abets. Can it now be argued that this athletic marvel from Akron, Ohio has a fair claim to dethroning Michael Jordan as the Greatest Of All-Time?

” I represented against Michael, and in my opinion Michael is the greatest to ever play ,” says former NBA player Rex Chapman, and NBA TV analyst.” But LeBron James, my goodness–if you want to argue that he is, you’re welcome to do that. And you won’t sound crazy .”

Here’s what no one could see coming two decades ago: that James would maintain piling up eye-popping statistics for 17 straight seasons, and play in 10 NBA Finals, while simultaneously churning out movies and television shows and seeking to build a Hollywood empire. That he’d opening up policy his own academic conservatory in Akron — the kind of place never rendered to him while growing up in a disadvantaged part of his hometown–and recognize teenagers from his I PROMISE school featured on a Wheaties box .

Something else seemed impossible in 2002, when Jordan’s apolitical luminary player prototype was still the standard: that James would not only become the world’s best basketball actor, but that he’d too emerge as one of the most prominent partisans in sports. That he’d be told to ” shut up and dribble “ by political scholars taking umbrage over the facts of the case that he shares his opinions. That his statements about police brutality would help shape the national discourse. That he’d be verbally sparring with the President of the United States.

Meanwhile, LeBron restrains triumphing through it all.

Todd Boyd, professor of scoot and culture at the University of Southern California, argues that James has joined Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan as the athletes of the past 60 times who’ve best combined all-time sporting act with a transcendent racial repercussion. Ali was an activist; Jordan’s Nike bargains and concoction tars modified the business of athletics; James combines business savvy and social engagement. James’ fourth designation, in this year of pandemic woe and widespread social rebellion triggered by a ethnic computation, will go down as his most important.

” You is therefore necessary to imagine how many beings there were, who would have been so happy to see LeBron fall flat on his face ,” says Boyd.” He didn’t do that. And is not simply did he not do that, he expanded his athletic, and then he was able to shape himself this great American who applies all that he’s reached on the court as a practice of enforcing other aspects of society. People would complain about competitors approximately squandering their pulpit and consuming their resources. LeBron rewrote all that .”

In no way does this Lakers title deserve any kind of asterisk time because the NBA postseason was contested in remarkable environments( in a bubble, with no tour or supporters during playoff serials ). The NBA represented a majority of its season when it shut down back in March–and the Lakers were already elite. In a full slate of playoff games, James fended off all-world participates like Jimmy Butler in Miami, and Nikola Jokic in Denver, James Harden and Russell Westrook in Houston and Damian Lillard in Portland. James may have had his best range teammate ever, in Anthony Davis, a surefire Hall of Famer. No one at 6′ 10″ must be allowed to do the elegant things Davis does on the basketball court.

Still, the Lakers work through LeBron James. His Game 6 accomplishment spoke to his greatness: he assaulted the boundary all light, tallying with ease and demoralizing Miami into oblivion.

” He’s the monarch ,” says Boyd.” We can be traced back to Shakespeare:’ Uneasy lies the president that wears a crown .’ It’s not an easy racket. It could have easily come off his head. But he’s wearing it, and he’s wearing it proudly, with wording and mark .”

And there’s no reason to think he’ll give it up any time soon. James, at 35, is playing some of the most exciting basketball of his occupation; he contributed the NBA in encourages, with 10.2 per play, for the first time. The joyfulnes he attains in sharing has inspired a generation.

The teen gazing at the Sports Illustrated camera, with a sense of wonder, is a bit more weathered now. The grey-headed in his beard is showing. But his smile on the victory place on Sunday night depicted he still had that childish vivacity. It sufficed as a remember, of how far he’s come since those high school days; further than anyone ever imagined.

Read more: time.com