Miami Heat superstar LeBron James is the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the year: NBA News
Miami Heat forward LeBron James has been named the Sports Illustrated “Sportsman of the year” for the year 2012. It’s been quite a while since a basketball player made it to the list, the last being LeBron’s Miami team mate Dwyane
Wade back in 2006.
James said he is both surprised and humbled on earning the illustrious sports award; surprised because he feels his ‘infamous decision’ to leave Cleveland Cavaliers for Miami Heat in 2010 would have held him back.
“I remember just like yesterday when I signed here and basically, like the roof caved in”, James commented on the bashing he received on his decision to switch teams to win trophies.
"To see that I and my team and everyone around me was able to patch that roof up, to come to this point, to come to this point and receive such a prestigious award, it's huge." he added.
And any one will be humbled to be added to the list that includes the likes of Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe, Wayne Gretzky and Michael Phelps.
"I haven't done enough, when you name those guys," James said. "It's an unbelievable list and to be on a list with so many unbelievable athletes . . . it's overwhelming."
During the 2011-2012 season, King James averaged 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists and led his team throughout the season, till he finally got his hands on the elusive NBA Championship ring. He played a big part throughout
the play offs and stepped up his game to another level in the Finals, both conference and the NBA.
SI commented "he came up the biggest” when the Heat needed him the most - he scored a triple-double in the last game of the NBA finals in their win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. His exploits also earned him the MVP for the NBA
finals as well as the MVP for the regular season, increasing his tally to three. He also helped the USA national team win the Gold Medal in London 2012 Olympics, his second of the career.
SI summed it up beautifully,
“James has morphed from the most imposing small forward in the league to the most dynamic all-around threat in the history of the league."
Sports Group Editor Paul Fichtenbaum said it’s not James achievements on the court that earned him the award, but also his penchant for charity work.
“But LeBron's stirring accomplishments on and off the court were impossible to ignore. He showed tremendous heart during times of adversity” Fichtenbaum said.
The nickname “the Chosen One” was given to him by the same magazine when he first appeared on their cover way back in 2002 as a high school junior. James proved their predictions right by winning it all last year and appeared on
their cover this Wednesday for the 18th time. Though one thing was different this time from the last 17 ones, he was wearing a championship ring on his finger.
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