It is no doubt that LeBron James will be remembered as one of the greatest basketball players in NBA league history. Unknowingly, the Cleveland forward has deep faith in God.
At a post-game interview with reporters on Dec. 4, James was asked if the return of his two injured teammates would help the Cavaliers. The typical response to the question is about Iman Shumpert and Kyrie Irving, who are expected to return sometime in the next month from injury.
The reporters were surprised to James' response, instead of talking about his game or his teammates; he lifted the name of Jesus Christ.
"I hope we don't think that way," James said, referring to the return of his injured teammates.
"It's never that way. When you get your guys back, you prepare just as you prepare before. There's only one guy ever in the world that everything will be all right when he comes back and that's Jesus Christ. Other than that, you can't bank on nobody being OK," the 30-year-old forward stressed in a published statement from CBS sports.
James not only invoke his confidence in the name of Jesus, he also spoke about where most of only nominal faith will tread, by announcing his certainty in the return of Jesus, which will bring everlasting justice and peace on earth.
In Akron, Ohio, where James was born and raised, he reportedly had Christian influences that helped him to shape his values. Some fans do not know about James' spiritual leanings because he is less demonstrative about it, compare to other sports figures. A published report said he sparingly announced his public appearances in church and charity basketball games near Cleveland.
In video a footage, James led the prayer for fellow-player Rodney Stuckey, who had seizure on the court. The Cleveland forward said he asked the "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" for the fast recovery of Stuckey.
In addition, James acknowledge where his talents and basketball skills came from. In a postgame interview, he did not credit his training or his innate qualities to his success. He claimed that "the grace of God above; He gave me this athleticism."
Bleacher Report listed LeBron James' achievements. He is now the youngest player to hit 10,000 and 20,000 points in a career, and he's one of a few players who break past both the 20,000-point and 5,000-assist mark.
Adam Fromal of Bleacher report described James as "the best basketball player in the world."
Statistics show that in NBA history, only 13 players have topped both 20,000 points and 5,000 assists. James leads the pack by achieving it at only 10 seasons, and he is only 28 years old when he reached that mark. NBA legend Oscar Robertson accomplished it when he was 30 years old.
With God on his side, LeBron James will definitely achieve more in his productive NBA career.
