That's Mr. King James to you...

You ever watch LeBron James play, watch him in an interview, or see him in a commercial, and realize you just don't like him? Can you explain why?

Maybe it's the talent. Hate those "team photo-ops" before a game. Maybe it's that smirk. Can't look at a magazine without seeing his face on the front. Might as well be ESPN's mascot. Hate driving past those "Witness" billboards. Or maybe it's because you hate the reality that he's just that smart.


As an 18 year old kid coming straight out of high school, he had the world waiting on their knees by the time he entered the NBA. Criticised constantly for not even attempting a college career, the young star quickly began to divide the people into fans and foes. The icing on the cake came with the 90 million dollar Nike endorcement waiting for him when he made the jump. From his entrance in 2003 to now, he has become one of the main faces of Nike, the embodiment of the NBA, and an icon in the world of sports.


Seven years later, he is no longer "that kid". At 25, he has become the epitemy of an entrepeneur and dissected the limelight of the NBA for all it's worth. He has slowly begun to realize that he is no longer living in the era of "The player", but living more in the era of "The player-business man". Make no mistake about it, success in the NBA today means not only having success on the hardwood, but off of it as well. This may be the very reason some resent him as being someone who has taken the focus off of basketball, and used it simply as a stepping stone. Having now started his own marketing agency in LRMR Innovative Marketing & Branding, LeBron has been enabled to have a front row seat to the direction of his brand. Partnering up with long time friends from Akron as well as with other corporate partners, he's managed to keep a certain "best of both worlds" mentality. Beginning as the first and only client of LRMR, he has now helped to guide both Chris Paul and the #1 pick of the 2010 NBA draft, John Wall, to LRMR representation. Now while that's all well and good, you and I both know that this has just been the tip of the iceburg.

In 2009, LeBron earned roughly 15 million on the court. Off of it? The man earned 28 million in endorsements alone, behind only Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Not too shabby for a 25 year old with no college education. Anything from Nike, to Bubblicious, to State Farm, you name it, he's endorsing it. shall we run down the list? No, because it's too long to even fit on here! But here are just a few of his off-the court achievements, just to give you a preview:

-Ranked #1 in Forbes Top 20 earners under 25 (2007)
-Influential figure on the committee to elect President Barrack Obama (2008)
-Became the first black male to appear on the cover of Vogue (2008)
-Starred in Lions Gate film "More Than a Game" (2009)
-Teams with ESPN to produce "The Decision" (2010)

And speaking of "The Decision", quick question: did you watch? Because I'll guarantee that you did. I know I did. Like the man or not, we all know we tuned in to see it because we know who LeBron James is, and we know how influential he is. Frustrating as that may seem, it's the God-forbidden truth. Putting personal opinion aside, you'd be foolish not to acknowledge the genius behind it. He single-handedly took over "The Worldwide Leader in Sports"(ESPN) for an entire hour to reveal an eight second decision. While some of you spited ESPN for allowing such a thing, it's what you have to do when you're the first resource in the world for sports. If it wasn't ESPN, it would of been some other network. But it goes to show exactly how self-aware LeBron James really is. He understands his value and he understands the clout that he's gained with that value.

But before you decide to label him as "the corporate puppet", you must remember that from the very start, Plymouth Rock landed on LeBron. No matter what we say or hear, his first passion has always been basketball. It would be unfair to say that he's not a special athlete, because he truly is a phenomenal talent. MVP's, scoring titles, youngest to do this, youngest to do that, the list can go on and on. But know that it's only from these accolades on the court, that has led him to his accolades off the court. Because of his work, he's been given other opportunities to round out his legacy as a superstar. This is something that many athletes get, but few choose to take. LeBron has taken it, and now he's running with it. So run with him, or run against him, doesn't matter to him either way.

But the next time you drive past that billboard or see another commercial, before you roll your eyes, consider the possibility that even though he's an older, more intelligent business man now, that maybe there's a part of him that still holds that "18 year old kid" mentality. You know what I'm talking about. Living out realities that used to only be dreams. Making a career out of what you love, working with the president, getting endorsements from everybody and their mother, starting a business with your best friends, and laughing all the way to the bank while you do it.

Guess it's pretty good to be king.

...oh excuse me, Mr. King.