“There was no culture when I made my debut with Cavs” LeBron James emphasises how it was his moral responsibility to build a ‘CULTURE’ with Cavs
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LeBron James - Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers was founded in 1970, and apart from 1976 divisional title, there was hardly any success. But then they had one of the most iconic stars LeBron James drafted in 2003. The soon derived King put the Cleveland Cavaliers back on the league map. They failed to even win 35 games in any of the 5 seasons before his arrival. The obvious 1st overall pick changed all that when he donned that jersey. The fortunes of the franchise changed dramatically as they managed to reach 5 NBA Finals and even won 1 title since LeBron set foot on the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse arena.
On “the Shop” show, LeBron was asked about the importance of culture to having success in the NBA. King James responded about how establishing the culture first and then blending it with talent leads to long-term success. He also pointed out that the Cavaliers had no culture when he showed up in 2003, at the age of 18.
The arrival of LeBron James proved to be the cornerstone for the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise
LeBron James was a huge name even before making it into the NBA. He was certain 1st overall pick and Cleveland didn’t miss the chance to grab the opportunity. From the very 1st season, James took center stage and won the Rookie of the year award – 1st ever in Cavs’ history. He then went on to keep his “mediocre” team in playoffs but then was overpowered by other Super-teams of that generation.
Young LeBron did move away for 4 seasons from his 1st franchise, but after winning 2 back to back titles he returned to deliver what was expected of him – A NBA title. But playing for Cavs was not easy for LeBron as he identified a lack of “culture” in the team.
In the latest episode of the Shop, he recalled, “Definitely culture first, and then if you can blend that with the talent and the right pieces, it literally it’s the gateway to being successful for a long period. I can go back to when I was drafted at 18 and made my debut with Cleveland. You know, there wasn’t any culture. You know, and that’s no knock on anybody that was there or whatever the case may be, but there was no culture”
LBJ further added, “I felt like it was my job as an 18-year-old to try to build the culture, which is kind of unfair, but it is what it is. You know, to try to build the culture, to make it seem like or make it feel like it could be something special.”
It was hard for any megastar to create a “winning culture” when the team lose games on regular basis. Despite his young age, he did end up successfully turning things around and completely changed their fortunes. While a championship eluded him in his first stint there and his departure in 2010 was very controversial, he did end up returning in 2014 and delivered that long-awaited title in 2016.
37-year-old LeBron is now with the Lakers of course, and that desire to win burns as strongly as ever. Though the Lakers have a record of 17 NBA Championships, the demanding franchise always thrives for more. 4-time Finals MVP is a perfect fit for their desire and as he showcased in the 2020 NBA Finals, he can deliver another championship with help of a younger and healthier team.
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Kunal Chawda
(600 Articles Published)