Was Lebron a SURE THING?

This topic contains 40 replies, has 15 voices, and was last updated by Jester87 12 years, 6 months ago.

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Posted on: Wed, 12/18/2013 - 8:22pm #53110

Malcolmx
Participant
Before anyone judges me for asking this please note that during the 2003 draft I was only 10 years old. I knew who he was and knew he was called the next greatest and so on,but I did not know a whole lot. I was a little kid. My question to older posters or people with just good knowledge in general is,During the 2003 draft was Lebron James a SURE THING? Did people feel he had very little room to be a bust? Was it basically etched in stone that this guy would be good?
Obviously big time expectations were placed on him,probably the most expectations ever.He was something no one had ever seen 6’8 245 pounds at 18 years old moved very gracefully and could handle the ball and pass it at a high level.We all know he has lived up to the hype and some. Now forget that he is currently the best the game has to offer and go back to his senior year of high school,Was there any doubt he would be a great player, or was he as close to a sure thing as there possibly could be?

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Posted on: Wed, 12/18/2013 - 8:54pm #857673

Grandmama
Participant
Yes, I thought he was a surefire star. As close as a player can get to being surefire.
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Posted on: Wed, 12/18/2013 - 8:54pm #857566

Grandmama
Participant
Yes, I thought he was a surefire star. As close as a player can get to being surefire.
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Posted on: Wed, 12/18/2013 - 9:14pm #857677

Tongue-Out-Like-23
Participant
As I remember, everybody had him pegged as Magic Johnson / Michael Jordan. I don’t think there were many people that thought he would be a bust, though I do remember reading somewhere that some people thought he would be a Caron Butler type of player at the worst.
Caron Butler had just come off a 15-5-3 season.
But to answer your question, the only people that hoped he would be a bust were the haters he had acquired while in high school. (Which is kind of sad/lame).
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Posted on: Wed, 12/18/2013 - 9:14pm #857570

Tongue-Out-Like-23
Participant
As I remember, everybody had him pegged as Magic Johnson / Michael Jordan. I don’t think there were many people that thought he would be a bust, though I do remember reading somewhere that some people thought he would be a Caron Butler type of player at the worst.
Caron Butler had just come off a 15-5-3 season.
But to answer your question, the only people that hoped he would be a bust were the haters he had acquired while in high school. (Which is kind of sad/lame).
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Posted on: Wed, 12/18/2013 - 9:25pm #857681

Malcolmx
Participant
So basically you guys are saying he was sure thing from the beginning but also at the same time had the highest ceiling of all players availible as well?
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Posted on: Wed, 12/18/2013 - 9:25pm #857574

Malcolmx
Participant
So basically you guys are saying he was sure thing from the beginning but also at the same time had the highest ceiling of all players availible as well?
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- Posted on: Wed, 12/18/2013 - 9:28pm #857683
  
  Tongue-Out-Like-23
  Participant
  Well, some people could have argued that Milicic had the higher ceiling but with a higher chance to be a bust as well. Milicic was a high risk, high reward while LeBron was low risk, high reward.
  Milicic was compared to Tim Duncan while LeBron was compared to Magic / Jordan. So yeah, he had the higher ceiling but in the eyes of some, getting the #2 pick was definitely not losing out.
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- Posted on: Wed, 12/18/2013 - 9:28pm #857576
  
  Tongue-Out-Like-23
  Participant
  Well, some people could have argued that Milicic had the higher ceiling but with a higher chance to be a bust as well. Milicic was a high risk, high reward while LeBron was low risk, high reward.
  Milicic was compared to Tim Duncan while LeBron was compared to Magic / Jordan. So yeah, he had the higher ceiling but in the eyes of some, getting the #2 pick was definitely not losing out.
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  - Posted on: Wed, 12/18/2013 - 9:45pm #857691
    
    r377
    Participant
    Lots of ppl may laugh now but Darko was well hyped and was regarded as a great talent in that draft. Years and years ago i saw a doco on Darko and Joe Dumars going over there to watch him play and all the hype and expectations surrounding him.
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  - Posted on: Wed, 12/18/2013 - 9:45pm #857584
    
    r377
    Participant
    Lots of ppl may laugh now but Darko was well hyped and was regarded as a great talent in that draft. Years and years ago i saw a doco on Darko and Joe Dumars going over there to watch him play and all the hype and expectations surrounding him.
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    - Posted on: Wed, 12/18/2013 - 9:49pm #857693
      
      Tongue-Out-Like-23
      Participant
      Exactly. You couldn’t look at any draft board and not see the Tim Duncan comparison blaring out. He seems extremely talented at such a young age.
      What do you think happened to him?
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    - Posted on: Wed, 12/18/2013 - 9:49pm #857586
      
      Tongue-Out-Like-23
      Participant
      Exactly. You couldn’t look at any draft board and not see the Tim Duncan comparison blaring out. He seems extremely talented at such a young age.
      What do you think happened to him?
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      - Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 12:36am #857703
        
        pohani komarac
        Participant
        after draft he was asked by Serbian media, what does this mean to him? Darko answerd in his style: “I will drive better car and fuck better pussys”
        Darko was athletic, long skiled, strong and tough center. But evryone missed that he is head case
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      - Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 12:36am #857596
        
        pohani komarac
        Participant
        after draft he was asked by Serbian media, what does this mean to him? Darko answerd in his style: “I will drive better car and fuck better pussys”
        Darko was athletic, long skiled, strong and tough center. But evryone missed that he is head case
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        Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 2:43pm #857738
        
        r377
        Participant
        Yeh I think mentally he didn’t cut it. I remember when he arrived in Detroit one of the first things he did was to go out to a strip club which the media got hold of. I remember looking at him with his blonde streaked hair and his bum-fluff patchy gotee which didn’t grow in properly and thinking "I just wonder what Ben Wallace thinks of him?". Expectations where huge there were lots of Darko Pistons jerseys for sale. I remember these were on special and still trying to sell them 4-5 yrs after he was drafted to the Pistons.
        At the time there was sucess and hype with the Europeans. Dirk Nowitzki and Pau was in his second or third season and doing well.
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        Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 2:43pm #857845
        
        r377
        Participant
        Yeh I think mentally he didn’t cut it. I remember when he arrived in Detroit one of the first things he did was to go out to a strip club which the media got hold of. I remember looking at him with his blonde streaked hair and his bum-fluff patchy gotee which didn’t grow in properly and thinking "I just wonder what Ben Wallace thinks of him?". Expectations where huge there were lots of Darko Pistons jerseys for sale. I remember these were on special and still trying to sell them 4-5 yrs after he was drafted to the Pistons.
        At the time there was sucess and hype with the Europeans. Dirk Nowitzki and Pau was in his second or third season and doing well.
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    - Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 2:19am #857604
      
      Sewok15
      Participant
      Darko was hyped up especially late in the draft process but I still was pretty surprised that the Pistons took him over Melo. Carmelo would have been the go to scorer the Pistons lacked and his career probably would have been way different going to play for Larry Brown and the defensive minded veteran squad that Detroit had at that time. Those guys would have demanded that he played defense and shared the ball but instead he went to Denver and the team with out a lot leadership. They had Andre Miller and Marcus Camby but those guys are more laid back lead by example. In Melo’s 2nd season Bzdelik was fired and George Karl took over…even more of an offensive minded coach.
      Maybe Darko would have flourished in Denver but I doubt it. I think he was always more of a workout warrior type player. Nobody in their right mind thought he had a higher ceiling than LeBron James who was dubbed The Chosen One for good reason at an early age. He was as talented a player that has ever existed at the age of 16 years old. There was nobody before or after him that was thought to be as can’t miss as LeBron.
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      - Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 3:25pm #857861
        
        Jester87
        Participant
        I think it would’ve been more likely that Melo and Brown clashed pretty soon and one of the two wouldn’t have finished the season in Detroit. Brown’s always been a hardliner and definitely not a fan of rookies. He never had problems keeping guys he didn’t like in his doghouse (ask Jalen Rose). And by the way that was what actually happened the very next summer after that draft, during Olympic games, when Carmelo was one of the players Brown had more to complain about. Melo had already a well polished and defined game, he was not a raw guy like, say, Kawhi Leonard you can work on and model his game after what you need in your system like Spurs did/are still doing. It would’ve been probably easiar with D-Wade, but nobody expected him to be that good back then (some considered him kind of a reach at 5).
        And by the way Milicic, sadly, was the consesus 2nd pick in that draft. I guess only a few GMs would’ve drafted Melo instead of him with the second pick. I remember I kinda hated him, because I was just a kid and such a great Carmelo’s fan and I was like "are this GMs and scouts crazy? Melo destroyed college ball while this guy struggles to average double digits in the adriatic league". Also I couldn’t figure out the Dirk’s comparison (actually he was described as Dirk with Toni Kukoc ball handling and passing skills and better athleticism) when he had bad 3p and FT percentages. When Darko was playing only garbage time I felt like I was smarter than every GM in the league, but now I understand draft is not that easy and it’s not all about picking the best player available. Pistons were an already very good team, close to reach their full potential and with great chemistry and a game based on execution and discipline. They found themselves with a lottery pick but they didn’t really need the kind of go-to guy talent lottery teams usually need to rebuild. That could’ve mess their chemistry. So they took a gamble on the guy they didn’t need to play much from the start.
        I think Darko has a lot to be blamed, he never showed any passion or interest. He also was clearly overrated, he had talent but was really very raw and it’s not easy to work on your game in the Nba with that schedule. GMs were afraid to be the remembered the same way people remember the Bucks front office for giving Dallas Nowitzki for Traylor. But at the same time I think it was not easy for him, as a teenager, finding himself in a new country, in a different culture, having to deal with expectations and not having really any chance to play (because his team was already doing great). And Brown imho didn’t make it easier and, if any, he dealt with Milicic in the worst way possible to make him feel comfortable: he played him only during garbage time, made Milicic their second mascot, put him in many embarassing situations and he clearly didn’t show any interest (I remember some rumors saying Herb Brown, asked in a private conversation if his brother was going to make Milicic’s pick look that bad, answered Larry didn’t give a F)
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      - Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 3:25pm #857754
        
        Jester87
        Participant
        I think it would’ve been more likely that Melo and Brown clashed pretty soon and one of the two wouldn’t have finished the season in Detroit. Brown’s always been a hardliner and definitely not a fan of rookies. He never had problems keeping guys he didn’t like in his doghouse (ask Jalen Rose). And by the way that was what actually happened the very next summer after that draft, during Olympic games, when Carmelo was one of the players Brown had more to complain about. Melo had already a well polished and defined game, he was not a raw guy like, say, Kawhi Leonard you can work on and model his game after what you need in your system like Spurs did/are still doing. It would’ve been probably easiar with D-Wade, but nobody expected him to be that good back then (some considered him kind of a reach at 5).
        And by the way Milicic, sadly, was the consesus 2nd pick in that draft. I guess only a few GMs would’ve drafted Melo instead of him with the second pick. I remember I kinda hated him, because I was just a kid and such a great Carmelo’s fan and I was like "are this GMs and scouts crazy? Melo destroyed college ball while this guy struggles to average double digits in the adriatic league". Also I couldn’t figure out the Dirk’s comparison (actually he was described as Dirk with Toni Kukoc ball handling and passing skills and better athleticism) when he had bad 3p and FT percentages. When Darko was playing only garbage time I felt like I was smarter than every GM in the league, but now I understand draft is not that easy and it’s not all about picking the best player available. Pistons were an already very good team, close to reach their full potential and with great chemistry and a game based on execution and discipline. They found themselves with a lottery pick but they didn’t really need the kind of go-to guy talent lottery teams usually need to rebuild. That could’ve mess their chemistry. So they took a gamble on the guy they didn’t need to play much from the start.
        I think Darko has a lot to be blamed, he never showed any passion or interest. He also was clearly overrated, he had talent but was really very raw and it’s not easy to work on your game in the Nba with that schedule. GMs were afraid to be the remembered the same way people remember the Bucks front office for giving Dallas Nowitzki for Traylor. But at the same time I think it was not easy for him, as a teenager, finding himself in a new country, in a different culture, having to deal with expectations and not having really any chance to play (because his team was already doing great). And Brown imho didn’t make it easier and, if any, he dealt with Milicic in the worst way possible to make him feel comfortable: he played him only during garbage time, made Milicic their second mascot, put him in many embarassing situations and he clearly didn’t show any interest (I remember some rumors saying Herb Brown, asked in a private conversation if his brother was going to make Milicic’s pick look that bad, answered Larry didn’t give a F)
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    - Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 2:19am #857711
      
      Sewok15
      Participant
      Darko was hyped up especially late in the draft process but I still was pretty surprised that the Pistons took him over Melo. Carmelo would have been the go to scorer the Pistons lacked and his career probably would have been way different going to play for Larry Brown and the defensive minded veteran squad that Detroit had at that time. Those guys would have demanded that he played defense and shared the ball but instead he went to Denver and the team with out a lot leadership. They had Andre Miller and Marcus Camby but those guys are more laid back lead by example. In Melo’s 2nd season Bzdelik was fired and George Karl took over…even more of an offensive minded coach.
      Maybe Darko would have flourished in Denver but I doubt it. I think he was always more of a workout warrior type player. Nobody in their right mind thought he had a higher ceiling than LeBron James who was dubbed The Chosen One for good reason at an early age. He was as talented a player that has ever existed at the age of 16 years old. There was nobody before or after him that was thought to be as can’t miss as LeBron.
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Posted on: Wed, 12/18/2013 - 9:38pm #857689

r377
Participant
He was well hyped and a sure thing. The only other two players I could say the same for in the past 20 yrs of recent drafts would be Shaq and Duncan.
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Posted on: Wed, 12/18/2013 - 9:38pm #857582

r377
Participant
He was well hyped and a sure thing. The only other two players I could say the same for in the past 20 yrs of recent drafts would be Shaq and Duncan.
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Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 12:16am #857701

theballerway
Participant
got stuck on the wrong team. He was doing his thing then got stuck on the bench behind Wallace and Wallace plus had to try and adjust to Larry Browns mind games n other bs. The team didnt need him as such so he was used. Then just fell off from there.
There were knocks on Lebrons jumper but that was it mostly. I thought his handle was suspect for the nba level as I didnt think he had any break down moves, well he still doesnt have any but hes doing OK lol. I was just so shocked by his passing when I first saw him really didnt expect it.
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Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 12:16am #857594

theballerway
Participant
got stuck on the wrong team. He was doing his thing then got stuck on the bench behind Wallace and Wallace plus had to try and adjust to Larry Browns mind games n other bs. The team didnt need him as such so he was used. Then just fell off from there.
There were knocks on Lebrons jumper but that was it mostly. I thought his handle was suspect for the nba level as I didnt think he had any break down moves, well he still doesnt have any but hes doing OK lol. I was just so shocked by his passing when I first saw him really didnt expect it.
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Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 2:27am #857606

Meditated States
Participant
Watching him in High School his most impressive skill to me was B Ball IQ. Then you add the best athelet alive possibly to that. Surefire yeah.
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Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 2:27am #857713

Meditated States
Participant
Watching him in High School his most impressive skill to me was B Ball IQ. Then you add the best athelet alive possibly to that. Surefire yeah.
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Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 4:05am #857610

TallmanNYC
Participant
At 17 he did an informal workout with the Cavs. And he dunked on folks and held his own. That would have been an NCAA violation, but it was clear already that he wasn’t going to college. In fact, even at that point college competition might have been a waste of time for him. Jordan also invited him to summer workouts and scrimmages with NBA players. Reports of his ability from those games was very high as well.
So yeah he was viewed as a can’t miss.
Melo was also viewed as can’t miss, which makes the Darko draft even more bizzare in retrospect.

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Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 4:05am #857717

TallmanNYC
Participant
At 17 he did an informal workout with the Cavs. And he dunked on folks and held his own. That would have been an NCAA violation, but it was clear already that he wasn’t going to college. In fact, even at that point college competition might have been a waste of time for him. Jordan also invited him to summer workouts and scrimmages with NBA players. Reports of his ability from those games was very high as well.
So yeah he was viewed as a can’t miss.
Melo was also viewed as can’t miss, which makes the Darko draft even more bizzare in retrospect.

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Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 6:07am #857622

blood
were expected to be franchise players and that was Bron and Melo.I remember watching LeBron’s first season in NBA and I was also really young but even at that age I knew this guy would be face of NBA for the next 10-15 years.Boy I was right.
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Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 6:07am #857729

blood
were expected to be franchise players and that was Bron and Melo.I remember watching LeBron’s first season in NBA and I was also really young but even at that age I knew this guy would be face of NBA for the next 10-15 years.Boy I was right.
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Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 6:27am #857629

ibe12
Participant
I remember that draft and although I was impressed with Lebron I was more impressed with what I saw Carmelo do when he was in college. Of course I would’ve been wrong for picking Carmelo first but at the time I thought he was the better player.
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Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 6:27am #857735

ibe12
Participant
I remember that draft and although I was impressed with Lebron I was more impressed with what I saw Carmelo do when he was in college. Of course I would’ve been wrong for picking Carmelo first but at the time I thought he was the better player.
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Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 6:54am #857635

roni3
Participant
I was 9 years old at the time of the 2003 draft. To this day I can recall my friends older brother saying Lebron was his favorite player and how he would be the best player in the NBA someday, despite the fact he still hadn’t played a game. Everytime I think of LeBron I think back to that moment and how that instant validates LeBron impact and legacy on the game from such a young age. Did LeBron have things he still needed to work on, of course his defense and shooting were occasionally criticized. While his passing, driving ability, leadership were elite. Wow, I cannot believe a huge laker fan and Kobe fan as myself would be saying this.
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Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 6:54am #857741

roni3
Participant
I was 9 years old at the time of the 2003 draft. To this day I can recall my friends older brother saying Lebron was his favorite player and how he would be the best player in the NBA someday, despite the fact he still hadn’t played a game. Everytime I think of LeBron I think back to that moment and how that instant validates LeBron impact and legacy on the game from such a young age. Did LeBron have things he still needed to work on, of course his defense and shooting were occasionally criticized. While his passing, driving ability, leadership were elite. Wow, I cannot believe a huge laker fan and Kobe fan as myself would be saying this.
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Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 7:18am #857643

joecheck88
Participant
Yes. He was a sure thing. Don’t get me wrong. The jumpshot was a serious flaw and he has maximized his talent but he was always going to be able to put up monster numbers and produce wins in the regular season. There was no doubt about it. Athletic Magic Johnson was always the thought I had. Now he may not pass like Magic but man he is and was always a special talent that was going to be a multiple all star. Loved Melo back then too. Was such a good player on Syracuse. Darko I was never high on. Would’ve taken Chris Bosh if I was going big man. Bosh was an animal at GT and from what I remember(was a freshman in HS) he played much more physical then than I see him Play now.

Think you have to be wary though. Thought Greg Oden was a sure thing but injuries just killed him. Take away injury and I think he’d be right there with Dwight Howard as top C. Parker is looking like a can’t miss prospect and I’m not jumping off the Wiggins wagon either. To me he is can’t miss as well. What I mean is I don’t think there is a chance he is not a multiple time all star.
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Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 7:18am #857749

joecheck88
Participant
Yes. He was a sure thing. Don’t get me wrong. The jumpshot was a serious flaw and he has maximized his talent but he was always going to be able to put up monster numbers and produce wins in the regular season. There was no doubt about it. Athletic Magic Johnson was always the thought I had. Now he may not pass like Magic but man he is and was always a special talent that was going to be a multiple all star. Loved Melo back then too. Was such a good player on Syracuse. Darko I was never high on. Would’ve taken Chris Bosh if I was going big man. Bosh was an animal at GT and from what I remember(was a freshman in HS) he played much more physical then than I see him Play now.

Think you have to be wary though. Thought Greg Oden was a sure thing but injuries just killed him. Take away injury and I think he’d be right there with Dwight Howard as top C. Parker is looking like a can’t miss prospect and I’m not jumping off the Wiggins wagon either. To me he is can’t miss as well. What I mean is I don’t think there is a chance he is not a multiple time all star.
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Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 10:50am #857668

rfarrell85
Participant
He was a no doubt superstar. In high school his most impressive skill was passing. He could have easily overpowered opponents and averaged 50, but he always got teammates involved. I remember watching a game on TV and he had a breakaway fast break and instead of doing a monster dunk he passed to a teammate. Very unselfish player.
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Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 10:50am #857775

rfarrell85
Participant
He was a no doubt superstar. In high school his most impressive skill was passing. He could have easily overpowered opponents and averaged 50, but he always got teammates involved. I remember watching a game on TV and he had a breakaway fast break and instead of doing a monster dunk he passed to a teammate. Very unselfish player.
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Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 2:57pm #857746

mikeyvthedon
Participant
Just remember watching the McDonald’s All-American game and boy was he dominant. His court vision was amazing, he ran like a deer and he was such an utter man amongst boys. Going into his junior season, I think people realized he was just a monstrous talent:
If you go to 3:57 of this video, you hear Rick Pitino calling a "not even a senior" a "lock NBA basketball player". To me, I think that is about the highest praise one could get from the coach at this time and just solidified LeBron’s reputation and expectation as about as close to "can’t miss" as one could get:
Suggest watching the full vid, has Lenny Cooke talking to Kobe about working out together, Sebastian Telfair and a kid named Dwain Williams. Bassy and Dwain were featured in a SLAM article that was right when LeBron was heading to HS. It featured the top 7th, 8th and 9th grader. The top 9th grader in the article was Major Wingate, who ended up going to Tennessee for college. Bassy was top 8th grader and Dwain was top 7th. Bassy stayed near the top of his HS Class with Dwight Howard eventually locking down the top spot.
Dwain kind of fell off the radar in HS rankings and played at both Providence as well as Hawaii. He left after his junior season to turn pro and the last thing I could find was him playing in the NBL (Canada). Just shows how rare it is for a person to be considered a "SURE THING". LeBron was the closest I can remember since Tim Duncan, most definitely.
There is a reason people say "Best prospect since LeBron James" as opposed to "Better than LeBron James". Since 2003, no one has been on the level as a prospect that LeBron was at as a HS senior. The thing people praise is the energy level he would bring night in and night out. His all-around game was quite real and he was seen as having the upside of a more athletic version of Magic Johnson. It is still hard for me to put LeBron in those terms as far as All-Time ranking, though I know he has really not disappointed and is amongst the best in NBA history. They are different players, but both were absolute dominant forces during the time in which they played.
Here are a few more signs of how highly regarded LeBron was as a prospect:
http://www.scout.com/2/43428.html (HS Player of the Year in 2002 over Amare and Melo. Sidenote is, the Sophomore of the Year is Bassy while the Freshman of the Year is former LSU player Tasmin Mitchell. Dwain Williams on the All-Freshman team, along with I believe Xavier Henry’s brother CJ, plus two guys I have no real recollection of)
http://si.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1024928/1/index.htm (Of course no guarantee of success as we remember Felipe Lopez never quite living up to expectations. This one worked out well, though)
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/college/recruiting/news/2001/07/08/abcd_sunday/
Catching lobs, throwing lobs and generally dominating the 2003 McDonald’s All-American Game:
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Posted on: Thu, 12/19/2013 - 2:57pm #857853

mikeyvthedon
Participant
Just remember watching the McDonald’s All-American game and boy was he dominant. His court vision was amazing, he ran like a deer and he was such an utter man amongst boys. Going into his junior season, I think people realized he was just a monstrous talent:
If you go to 3:57 of this video, you hear Rick Pitino calling a "not even a senior" a "lock NBA basketball player". To me, I think that is about the highest praise one could get from the coach at this time and just solidified LeBron’s reputation and expectation as about as close to "can’t miss" as one could get:
Suggest watching the full vid, has Lenny Cooke talking to Kobe about working out together, Sebastian Telfair and a kid named Dwain Williams. Bassy and Dwain were featured in a SLAM article that was right when LeBron was heading to HS. It featured the top 7th, 8th and 9th grader. The top 9th grader in the article was Major Wingate, who ended up going to Tennessee for college. Bassy was top 8th grader and Dwain was top 7th. Bassy stayed near the top of his HS Class with Dwight Howard eventually locking down the top spot.
Dwain kind of fell off the radar in HS rankings and played at both Providence as well as Hawaii. He left after his junior season to turn pro and the last thing I could find was him playing in the NBL (Canada). Just shows how rare it is for a person to be considered a "SURE THING". LeBron was the closest I can remember since Tim Duncan, most definitely.
There is a reason people say "Best prospect since LeBron James" as opposed to "Better than LeBron James". Since 2003, no one has been on the level as a prospect that LeBron was at as a HS senior. The thing people praise is the energy level he would bring night in and night out. His all-around game was quite real and he was seen as having the upside of a more athletic version of Magic Johnson. It is still hard for me to put LeBron in those terms as far as All-Time ranking, though I know he has really not disappointed and is amongst the best in NBA history. They are different players, but both were absolute dominant forces during the time in which they played.
Here are a few more signs of how highly regarded LeBron was as a prospect:
http://www.scout.com/2/43428.html (HS Player of the Year in 2002 over Amare and Melo. Sidenote is, the Sophomore of the Year is Bassy while the Freshman of the Year is former LSU player Tasmin Mitchell. Dwain Williams on the All-Freshman team, along with I believe Xavier Henry’s brother CJ, plus two guys I have no real recollection of)
http://si.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1024928/1/index.htm (Of course no guarantee of success as we remember Felipe Lopez never quite living up to expectations. This one worked out well, though)
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/college/recruiting/news/2001/07/08/abcd_sunday/
Catching lobs, throwing lobs and generally dominating the 2003 McDonald’s All-American Game:
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