LeBron James by David Lee Morgan: Book Cover

    LeBron James: The Rise of a Star by David Lee Morgan

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    (Paperback)

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    • Publisher: Gray & Company, Publishers
    • Pub. Date: October 2003
    • ISBN-13: 9781886228740
    • Sales Rank: 38,018
    • Age Range: Young Adult
    • 240pp
     
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    Synopsis

    He has been called the best high school basketball player ever. He was the no-doubt-about-it number-one pick in the 2003 NBA draft as a high school senior. He had already been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a junior. He was touted wildly on national TV by basketball experts like Dick Vitale and Bill Walton. He signed a $90 million promotional contract with Nike.

    Why the big fuss over LeBron James?

    The odds were against LeBron from the start. Born in poverty to a 16-year-old single mom, without a father, raised only with the help of various family and neighbors . . . he could have become just one more scarred product of a rough childhood in the projects.

    Instead, hešs the darling of the sports world‹and he plays the part well. Sportswriter David Lee Morgan has covered the LeBron phenomenon for the Akron Beacon Journal since LeBronšs freshman year and has had unequaled access to LeBron, his family, and his close friends. Hešs seen the exceptional play on the basketball court. But hešs also seen the surprising poise with which LeBron has handled the pressure, the scrutiny, the criticism that arrived with the early onset of fame.

    He has also watched, up close, the incredible circus-like atmosphere that has descended on this special kid from a small high school in Akron, Ohio.

    In this book, Morgan takes an inside look at the rise of sportšs hottest young prospect, now poised at the brink of superstardom.

    School Library Journal

    Adult/High School-LeBron James truly has become a star. After appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated and having his high school basketball games broadcast on ESPN, he was the first pick of the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA draft, and actually had them in playoff contention. The book is a breezier read than Ryan Jones's King James (St. Martin's, 2003) and doesn't weigh readers down with scores and statistics. Through interviews with those who knew LeBron while he was growing up (poor but loved in Akron, OH), the author draws a portrait of a boy who almost always had that special spark that defines him in the NBA today. Two inserts of color photographs depict the athlete from toddlerhood to recent NBA draftee, and most show him with his recognizable smile-and truly having fun with his gift. Morgan doesn't gloss over the controversy that surrounded the player when he accepted gifts as an amateur, a violation of the high school rules. He just comes across as a typical teen who sometimes screws up, albeit one with a prodigious talent. Demand for all things LeBron James may soon overtake demand for all things Michael Jordan, just as LeBron's statistics are rivaling those of a young Michael.-Jamie Watson, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

    Customer Reviews

    The Life of LeBronby Anonymous

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    May 22, 2008: The name of the book is The Rise of a Star by David Lee Morgan Jr. This book is a nonfiction account of NBA player LeBron James. This book dictates important milestones of LeBron?s life from childhood into his high school years. It describes the hardships that he faced on his way to the NBA. It also tells about his childhood growing up, playing basketball and other sports. The main theme of this book is to never give up. This is illustrated throughout the book when Morgen talks about LeBron?s turbulent childhood. His perseverance is also shown when people close to him passed away, like Eddie. Eddie?s death didn?t let this stop him, instead, he got right back on the court and won a Championship. This book would be a good read for someone who wants to find out more about LeBron and all of the aspects of his life. One element of the book that was confusing to me was the use of quotes. Occasionally, quotes were used and the context was not properly introduced or explained well which made the story confusing. One quote that I did like was when Lebron said ?My Mother knows that you have to make most of your life, because tomorrow you might not wake up.?(pg.83) This quote really represents the theme of this book, which is to never give up and to live life to the fullest. Although we are familiar with all of LeBrons successes, he was faced with much hardship along his road to stardom. He grew up in a very rough neighborhood and was forced to move frequently. Because he had to relocate so often, it was difficult for him to make friends. Eventually, things were so bad for his family that they were left homeless, need to live with friends or neighbors. I can relate strongly to this story. Although I haven?t experienced some of his financial hardships, his drive in life is much like mine. LeBron played basketball all his life not to prove anything to anyone else but himself. He was determined to become a master of his craft and that?s exactly what he did against all odds. When I want to reach a goal, literal or figurative, I try and try until I can?t go on any longer. This is the same way for LeBron. He wouldn?t stop until he was the best. Through reading this book, I have learned that success is possible despite hardships, and with hard work and determination anything is possible.

    A reviewerby Anonymous

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    May 22, 2008: In the book, LeBron James Rise of the Star, by David Lee Morgan JR, this book shows what LeBron James, a high school phenomenon and now an NBA star had to go through and what lead him to becoming such a great basketball player. The genre of this book is non-fiction and the theme is what it really takes to become an NBA player straight out of high school. In the beginning of the book, it talks about Lebron at a young age and some of the bad experiences he had to go through. One experience that was really sad was when LeBron?s grandmother who everybody loved, died on Christmas morning, so Gloria (LeBron?s mom) did not tell LeBron about it so he would have a great Christmas. This book was not only a sad book because LeBron and his teammates knew how to win and they did a lot of it. Throughout high school, St. Vincent St. Mary?s (LeBron?s high school) won three championships. When they lost one year, LeBron thought that the game was his fault and felt terrible about the loss. In his junior year in high school, (the year after they lost the championship) LeBron was really starting to love football maybe more then basketball. If he had chosen basketball over football, he still would have had a very productive career. You do not get many instances when you see a 6 foot 8 inch wide receiver that ran like a horse. Then, after playing a year of football, he just decided that basketball was going to be his main sport and he decided to drop playing football even though he loved it. He just was not going to risk the chance of getting a career ending injury and made a good choice by not taking the risk. Another reason to love this book is because during his senior year of high school, Gloria got LeBron a hummer for his birthday. One day while he was driving to his game, he got pulled over and Gloria came and took care of the situation just so LeBron would not miss senior night. When it was LeBron?s turn to walk out with his mom, she was still dealing with the car situation so LeBron?s teammates walked out with him together which really made it a great moment and you knew that those five players had a special bond. In conclusion, the book, LeBron James Rise of the Star, by David Lee Morgan JR, is a very heart warming book. It makes you feel good inside because even though LeBron suffered a lot while he was younger, he never got into any gangs and always got good grades. This means something to me when I hear that someone who came from a very poor family worked as hard as he could day in and out at school and just everyday. In the end, all of this paid off because now LeBron is the best basketball player in the NBA, which goes to show you that anyone can do anything.


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