(Todd A. Smith)
In 1983, Ricky Bell of New Edition sang, “Mama told me one day it was gonna happen, but she never told me when. She told me it would happen when I was much older. Wish it would have happened again.”
Although boy band pioneers New Edition spoke of heartbreak from a romantic relationship in the song “Is This the End,” the lyrics apply to every goodbye in life, even a legendary basketball career.
When asked about his career and how long he planned to play, LeBron James said, “I don’t know. I don’t have an answer for that.
“Something I’ll sit down with my family, my wife and my support group and kind of just talk through it and see what happens. And just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue playing.”
James, 40, has a player option for the 2025-26 season.
Watching James go from one of the most highly touted prep basketball phenoms of all time to exceeding every expectation on his way to billionaire status is one of the most inspirational “reality television shows” ever broadcast before our eyes.
And if this is the end after 22 seasons, all the basketball and Black communities can say is thank you.
James is the example every parent should show their children as they reach for the moon in their lives and careers.
He did not begin with a silver spoon in his mouth.
James had to overcome things that would have ruined many others from his upbringing in a single-parent household with very little money to creating generational wealth for everyone in his circle.
Sure, James has God-given talents that many will never possess.
But if a person lives long enough, they will be able to name many people with God-given gifts who squandered them before they could reach their full development.
In the process, countless lives were altered because when God blesses a person, He does so for that person to become a blessing to others.
Becoming a blessing to others is what stands out the most in the story of the four-time NBA champion.
James got his family out of the hood.
He then got his crew out of the hood by providing them with business opportunities they might not have had without him taking advantage of his talent.
His success on the court makes him one of the greatest of all time, if not the greatest.
People of a certain age have seen phenoms come and go.
They have seen people deemed can’t miss talents, who shrank under the bright lights of expectations.
But not James.
He became a champion with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat.
He took a city in Cleveland, starving for a championship, and made them winners.
He went to Los Angeles and continued the championship tradition of the Lakers.
James also took his talents overseas and won three Olympic gold medals.
He carried teams with minimal talent to the NBA Finals continuously.
He dealt with defeats by coming back stronger.
While many criticized him for jumping from team to team, James understood his power and importance as a player.
He changed the mentality of many Black athletes who were often told to remain loyal and to take hometown discounts.
James realized his loyalty was to his family, to his legacy, to his career and to his community.
Therefore, he made decisions that were in their best interest.
The ultimate power move was his influence in getting his son, Bronny James, drafted to the Lakers, making the James crew the first father-and-son duo in National Basketball Association (NBA) history.
Unfortunately, James received criticism for flexing his muscles to get his way.
Call it nepotism, but White men have often used their influence and power to benefit their family and friends.
Therefore, why shouldn’t a Black billionaire do the same for those in his family or circle?
Additionally, James flexed his influence in both the business and basketball arenas.
He also used his voice for the Black community.
James consistently spoke out against racism and police brutality during his 22-year NBA career.
The Akron, Ohio native championed the importance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Furthermore, he supported politicians he felt would benefit the Black community and the entire country.
In previous generations, NBA stars often would not support Black causes and certain politicians for fear of alienating a predominantly White fanbase.
The NBA infamously, and allegedly, blackballed star guards like Craig Hodges and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf because they spoke out on racial and/or religious issues.
Hodges’ former Chicago Bulls teammate Michael Jordan once infamously stated Republicans buy sneakers too when a Democratic politician asked for his endorsement.
However, James realized something Jordan did not realize at the time.
When someone is as powerful and popular as the two most famous athletes to wear number 23, no league in their right mind is going to blackball them or shun them like the NBA did Hodges and Abdul-Rauf.
If the icons of the game speak up, it even makes it easier for every other socially and politically conscious athlete.
When a person is as powerful as James, their words move the needle and the culture.
While Jordan used his popularity to move sneakers, James used his platform to move the Black community in a forward direction too.
In that regard, maybe he is the greatest of all time.
So, if this is indeed the end, salute to “King James” for changing the game in more ways than one.
