LeBron James: by no means awakened after I brushed my enamel like, ‘Yeah, that is my league. I’m the face of the league. Goddamn it — shine’s up! I’ma shine one thing up!’ However I did know there was a duty placed on me — to hold the league in a sure trend. You gotta suppose: earlier than I entered the league, and proper after MJ retired — after he got here again the second or third time — yeah, he got here again and was performed with Washington… There was a big fan-player separation in our league. Folks simply weren’t resonating with a variety of the gamers. Lots of the fellows didn’t actually care — or regardless of the case could also be. And I felt like… to ensure that me to make a reputation for myself — clearly, I knew the play was going to deal with itself, as a result of I knew how a lot I dedicated to it — However I additionally wished to deal with the duty of exhibiting the face of the league… within the sense of being a contemporary citizen. You already know — being a job mannequin.” -via YouTube / March 26, 2025
