#1 LeBron James
		6-7
		WG/WF
		Akron (OH) St. Vincent-St. Mary
		AAU/Club Team: Michigan Hurricanes, Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars, Oakland Slam N' Jam

Junior Stats:	29 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 3.3 steals per game; team 23-4, advanced to Division II state final; 2.8 GPA.
Senior Stats:	30 points, 9.5 rebounds, 9.0 assists per game
Colleges:	NBA
Accolades:	2003 McDonalds All-American team, 2003 Parade All-American, played in 2003 EA Sports Roundball Classic, played in 2003 Capital Classic. USA Today national player of the year as a junior, in 2001 was first sophomore ever named to first team, two-time Ohio Mr. Basketball.

Brick Says....

Magic Johnson-caliber handler is a well-proportioned 225-pounder who already possesses the requisite skills, athleticism, fundamentals and intangibles for super-stardom. (If you missed the summer edition of the Recruiter’s Handbook, it’s a collector’s edition, with James on the cover and featured inside.) Sure, he occasionally tries to do too much, with resultant forced shots or passes, but that is rare, and after all, he’s human and still in high school! Mature mentally as well as physically, he’s a consummate team player who’s at his devastating best in the clutch. His hands are great (one reason he’s also an elite football prospect), he sees the court and consistently delivers slick passes, his jump shot is reliable to NBA three-point range, and he’s effective around the basket, where he’s quick off his feet for strong slams and soft tips. In addition, he plays tough defense, especially when challenged by a highly touted foe. Whew! It will be a shocker if he’s not the first player chosen in the 2003 NBA draft. As noted above, potential superstar.
Find out more of what Brick Oettinger has to say about LeBron!

Event Performances

Note: James broke his wrist in the early summer and missed the entire 2002 July viewing period.

2002 Primetime Shootout: Twenty years from now, when local fans discuss Sunday's marquee showdown between Oak Hill Academy and Akron (OH) St. Vincent-St. Mary, no one will remember the score ... or even who won the game. Instead, they'll be talking about the dazzling display of athleticism, skill and competitive drive put forth by two players -- LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony -- primed for greatness. Carmelo drew first blood. He posted LeBron on the game's first possession, spun around him and hung in the air for a short banker. And then he drew second blood ... and third. Anthony scored six points in the opening two minutes to give Oak Hill an immediate 12-2 lead.

But LeBron, who likes to blend in and initiate -- but not dominate -- St. V's offense, quickly realized that his team was backed into a corner that would require him to carry the team on his shoulders. James started with the layup, then made a move on the perimeter that sent the entire Oak Hill squad in the wrong direction and freed himself for a high-arching 22 footer. He followed that by knifing an incredible behind-the-back bounce pass through two defenders. Even with LeBron clicking, Oak Hill took advantage of St. V's cold shooting and took a 21-11 lead into the second quarter. That's when LeBron went on a solo run to bring his club storming back. James scored inside and on the break, forcing steals from the sure-handed Justin Gray and finishing emphatically on the other end. His vicious dunk midway through the second period gave St. Mary's a one-point lead. But he tired and had to sit, which -- not coincidentally -- triggered an Oak Hill mini-run that enabled the Warriors to reclaim a 34-28 halftime lead.

LeBron brought his team back closer down the stretch. His lightning-fast layup in transition made the score 54-51 with 6:00 left. But Anthony responded in turn; both players either shot or wanted to shoot on nearly every possession down the stretch. Anthony devastated St. Vincent-St. Mary inside, using a super-quick crossover to shake himself free and great body control to finish. James used his terrific first step, masterful ballhandling and remarkable agility to finish his own attacks at the rim. And his passing skills are unparalleled for a 6-7 player in the high school -- and maybe even college -- ranks. Both players grabbed several offensive rebounds, using superb quickness off the floor and quick hands to snatch the ball away from the opposition. But Oak Hill's strength, coupled with St. Vincent's cold shooting, proved too much in the end -- the Warriors escaped with a 72-66 victory. The carnage: LeBron poured in 36 points. Carmelo knocked home 34. Everyone -- players, fans, scouts, coaches and celebrities (former NBAer Danny Ainge sat courtside) -- left knowing they'd caught a brief glimpse of basketball's future.

2001 Slam Dunk to the Beach: When the final game of the 2001 Slam Dunk to the Beach tipped off on Sunday night with junior prodigy LeBron James battling fierce 6-9 athlete Jason Fraser, everyone in attendance knew that an entertaining show was in store. But they couldn't have known that they'd witness a classic. James celebrated his 17th birthday on Sunday and obviously had much for which to be thankful, but one thing he wasn't happy to receive was a bloody nose in the opening minutes of the game. The 6-7 -- or is it 6-8? -- wing caught the iron on a 10-foot runner ... and he also caught a smack to the face and was sent crashing to the floor, then to the bench for clean-up. But LeBron was undaunted. Many close to the St. Vincent program noted prior to Slam Dunk that he hasn't been making -- or even taking -- his outside jump shot this season.

That all changed on Sunday night, when LeBron finally showed off his ridiculously high-arching three-point stroke. He hit a pair of threes in the first half and 5-12 shots total through the first two periods, but he did most of his damage at the foul line, where he buried nine of his ten attempts on his way to 21 points. Perhaps his biggest highlight of the half was actually a pass. James streaked down the left side of the floor in a two-on-three situation, cut sharply to the middle of the lane and delivered a beautiful underhanded lookaway pass to a teammate for a wide open layup. But amid the chaos both James and Fraser made enough plays to keep their teams moving forward. Jason hit another three -- this one absolutely ridiculous, with tons of elevation and in a defender's face -- and clearly stood in the way of some of LeBron's penetration opportunities. James struck back when Fraser got caught guarding him on the perimeter. He dribbled out by the three-point stripe, faked a step-back three attempt to get Fraser leaning forward, then dribbled by him in a move that got Jason so off-balance that LeBron may have been able to run a circle around him before the big man recovered. James then gave Fraser -- who's known for his Big East-style glares -- a long look as he trotted back down the floor.

LeBron had shared the wealth throughout the waning moments, but this time he was determined to carry the load himself. With seven seconds left, he made a quick move on the wing to free himself and launched a 22-footer that hit nothing but cord on the way through. And he was fouled. The crowd was now almost ready to riot, as LeBron stepped to the line with 5.4 seconds remaining, a tie score, and the chance to give his team the win ... swish. A horrified Amityville called timeout to regroup and attempt a last-second shot. When action resumed, Fraser found Price open beyond mid-court and hit him with a perfect pass and the Irish fouled him to prevent a layup. This time the precocious sophomore stepped to the line and buried both shots to give Amityville a one-point lead with four seconds left. St. Vincent-St. Mary called timeout and drew up a final play. But Amityville deflected the pass out of bounds and reduced the time remaining to three seconds. Amityville clearly wasn't going to let LeBron receive the in-bounds pass. James made a quick stutter step to break free of two defenders and streak down the sideline. But the pass was tipped and rolled unclaimed down with time almost expired. LeBron was able to scoop it up as he was falling out of bounds -- 27 feet away from the basket -- and make a final desperate heave to win the game. Everyone, and we mean everyone, knew this shot was going in as soon as it left his hand. It couldn't be any other way, right? But it bounced off the front rim, and Amityville survived with an 84-83 triumph. James finished the game with 39 points and seven assists, while Fraser led the way for Amityville with 28 points and 18 rebounds.

2001 adidas ABCD Camp, Part I: James makes it look too easy. So easy, in fact, that he essentially took a game off on Sunday night. But there's no mistaking his talent; in his first outing, LeBron broke out all the weapons for 20 points seemingly without breaking a sweat. In his afternoon game, LeBron demonstrated all the polish and athleticism that made him such a tremendous hit at the Youth Development festival in Colorado. James gets a lot credit for level of difficulty; very few people could take so many fadeaways and ridiculously long jumpers without finding themselves benched very quickly, much less actually make those shots. The most common misconception about his game is his athleticism. Many fans who haven't seen him assume that he's some mind-blowing athlete with Vince Carter-like leaping ability ­ not true. James certainly is a very good athlete, but it's his versatility and understanding that set him apart from so many others.

2001 adidas ABCD Camp, Part II: In the main event, featuring junior Lebron James vs. senior Lenny Cooke, the camp's top wing players squared off before an ample crowd of coaches, players and spectators. The electricity at the beginning of the game was rare for a shoe camp. Cooke's Warriors were undefeated heading into the contest, and many of the games had been blowouts. By contrast, LeBron's Suns were only 1-3. For a while there, the game didn't sustain the initial fever pitch. The highlight came early in the first half when Cooke shook James with a series of crossover dribbles and jammed a 19-footer in his eye. But LeBron responded with some flashy dribble moves of his own, including several terrific passes that left everyone shaking their heads. With only seconds remaining and the Warriors up a single point, the Suns in-bounded to, who else, but LeBron. Everyone in the building knew what he was looking for ­ a game-winning shot at the buzzer. James dribbled past two defenders and crossed halfcourt just in time to take two more dribbles and launch a running three from 23 feet. And it dropped. James left the hero of a game that pitted two potential top-five NBA lottery picks in the very near future. But it wasn't just that play that made James the winner. Simply put, LeBron had an easier time scoring on Lenny than Lenny did on LeBron. James' explosive first step made it easy for him to beat Cooke off the dribble; he was especially dangerous attacking to the left. Cooke is a little stronger and more able to post up, but even then James used his great anticipation and quicks to block one of his turnaround jumpshots with impunity. LeBron hit 9-14 on field goals (2-5 threes) for a total of 24 points; he also grabbed five rebounds. Cooke, on the other hand, struggled with only nine points on 4-10 field goals. There's no question that Cooke is every bit the prospect he's cracked up to be, but at his best James very well could be the player in the country, regardless of class.

Ranking History

*Players to Watch

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